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Eight months after profitable the European Championship and being feted as nationwide heroes, Italy’s soccer group crashed again to earth, lacking out on the World Cup for the second time operating.
Italy misplaced 1-0 at residence to little-fancied North Macedonia who scored the winner in harm time on Thursday.
It was a shock repeat of 4 years in the past, when Italy failed to succeed in soccer’s world showpiece match for the primary time since 1958.
However after the group’s victory within the European remaining in opposition to England final July, few folks believed a repeat calamity was looming.
“Out of the world” was La Gazzetta dello Sport’s, the key sports activities newspaper in Italy, headline on Friday morning.
“Taking Roberto Mancini [team manager] to trial is a mistake. It’s the complete soccer system that must be rebuilt,” mentioned an opinion piece within the newspaper.
Media reviews counsel Mancini, who was hailed as Italy’s saviour after taking the aspect from World Cup omission to Euros glory, will most likely go away.
“Let’s see,” mentioned Mancini. “The frustration is just too massive at current to speak concerning the future. I simply don’t know what to say.”
Many of the big-name gamers, together with the 2006 World Cup winners, remained silent and it was onerous to seek out posts or feedback on social media from the present gamers.
Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport respectively had “To Hell” and “Noooooooooo” as headlines, with quite a few articles of why the group misplaced the match and the way the group’s efficiency acquired worse after the ultimate in London final summer season.
Italy have gained the World Cup 4 occasions, together with the 2006 triumph. Nonetheless, they exited on the group stage in 2010 and 2014, and this newest setback recommended that the European triumph in 2021 was merely a blip in a protracted interval of decline.
“All of the Gazzetta dello Sport had been virtually offered out early within the morning,” Christian, 50, proprietor of a newspaper kiosk in south-central Milan, informed Al Jazeera.
“Those that purchased the newspapers had been indignant and unhappy. However this time it was completely different from 2018 primarily for 2 causes. Firstly, persons are involved concerning the struggle in Ukraine and soccer, even right here in Italy, is just not a precedence as of late. Secondly, we’ve gotten used to not making it to the World Cup.”
Final Italy’s World Cup recreation was June 15, 2014. Group stage vs England. 2839 days in the past.
Final Italy’s World Cup knockout recreation was July 9, 2006. Remaining vs France (!). 5737 days in the past.
Subsequent one: 2026? 🇮🇹 #Italy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 24, 2022
For the final two seasons, no Italian groups have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, a trophy which has eluded Italy since 2010, with many home golf equipment weighed down by debt and unable to draw the highest expertise that when flocked to Serie A.
The newly appointed head of the top-flight Serie A league acknowledged {that a} shake-up was wanted.
“This failure… should lead everybody to severe reflection and profound change in our system,” mentioned Lorenzo Casini, with out giving particulars of what wanted doing.
For 64-year-old Nunzio, it was the identical feeling as the remainder of Italy.
“That is what they deserve as a result of they performed actually dangerous yesterday,” he informed Al Jazeera. “In fact I’m disillusioned, I like soccer and I all the time help Azzurri however after Euro 2020, we didn’t do something to deserve qualification. Macedonia was a lot better than us yesterday, I’m blissful for them.”
Italy since profitable the World Cup in 2006:
2010: Knocked out at group stage
2014: Knocked out at group stage
2018: Did not qualify
2022: Did not qualify— B/R Soccer (@brfootball) March 25, 2022
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