Italy 0 Sweden 0 (Sweden win 1-0 on aggregate)
A country is in mourning this morning, shocked, numb and yet to fully comprehend that for the first time since 1958, they won’t be represented at the football World Cup.
In the past 59 years, Italy have won the tournament twice, reached the final on another two occasions and established a reputation as the most consistent European nation alongside Germany. But that reputation is now in tatters after their failure to see off Sweden over two legs in their World Cup qualification play-off.
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Italy’s 1-0 defeat in Stockholm on Friday left them facing a tough task in the play-off second leg last night in Milan, but their inability to break down the visitors’ defence despite enjoying 75% of possession summed up the sorry state of the national team.
Italy had 23 shots to Sweden’s four, but none found the mark as their opponents clung to their precious advantage.
“We just had to sit there and hope we could hang on,” said Sweden coach Jan Andersson. “We couldn’t do it in any other way, they are so skilful.”
Once the result sinks in, heads will roll in Italian football. Before the squad had even boarded the bus home, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement after 20 years and 175 caps. Also departing the international stage are Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Barzagli, and others will surely follow as an axe is taken to a squad that has underperformed for too long.
Since winning the World Cup in 2006, Italy have failed to make it past the group stage, their worst run of results since the 1960s.
The first casualty of their latest defeat will almost certainly be coach Giampiero Ventura, who arrived 90 minutes late for the post-match press conference.
“I’m sorry for being late, but every player I had the privilege of working with, I wanted to salute individually,” he told reporters.
Asked if he’d already resigned, the 69-year-old, who is contracted until 2020, replied: “I have not resigned because I haven’t spoken to the [Italian Football Federation] president yet… I have to evaluate an infinity of issues. We will meet with the federation and discuss it.”
As for who would replace him as Italy coach, sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport believes former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti is a strong contender, although current Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is also a possibility, as is Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Whoever the new man is, he will need a new goalkeeper following Buffon’s retirement. It was a wretched way for the footballer to end his international career, and there were a few tears when he spoke to reporters last night.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Not for me but for Italy. We blew something that could have meant so much… the blame is divided equally among all of us. There must be no scapegoats. We win together and we lose together.”
