Couple claimed their town was inside watching a soccer match

Italy's highest court has rejected an appeal by a couple who said they should not have been convicted of obscene acts in public because they had sex outside while the rest of their town was inside watching a soccer match.

The couple, then a 60-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, were caught having sex outside in southern Italy in 2006 while the national soccer team was playing in the World Cup soccer quarter-finals in Germany.

Their defence at a previous trial was that they had timed their tryst under the stars so they would not offend anyone, because everyone else would be watching the game on television.

They were convicted and brought their case to Rome's Court of Cassation, the highest appeals court, where they lost again.

For the record, Italy played Ukraine that night and won 3-0, going on to win the tournament in a final against France.