TIRANA, June 12: A despairing Albanian woman slashed her wrists after her soccer-mad husband lost a small fortune betting on Italy, the daily Gazeta Shqiptare reported Wednesday.

Italy was leading Croatia 1-0 when Vjollca Zako’s husband told her he had bet 3,500 dollars the couple had saved up to buy an apartment.

The 34-year-old woman slit her wrists when Croatia scored twice to win the match. She is out of danger, the paper said.

Tirana’s butchers have found an unusual way to join in Albania’s World Cup betting frenzy. Some now wager freshly slaughtered bullocks on games.

“Butchers who bet on Germany versus Cameroon won three bullocks,” a man in the meat trade told the Koha Jone. Germany beat Cameroon.