The Italian media have bemoaned a repeat of their national team’s ‘worst nightmare’ after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third tournament running.
The four-times world champions will not be competing for football’s top prize this summer after falling to penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Tuesday night.
This latest failure – described as an ‘apocalypse’ by the Italian media – is yet another lowly chapter for one of the game’s traditional powerhouses, who last won a knockout game at a World Cup in 2006, when they beat France in the final in Germany.
On Wednesday morning Gennaro Gattuso’s side were given a brutally honest assessment of their standing in the game, with Gazzetta dello Sport admitting that Italy’s absence from the showpiece tournament is now a ‘normality’.
‘The Italian catastrophe has now lost its sense of shock; rather than being unpredictable, it seems to be the norm. For the first time, an entire generation will have grown up without seeing Italy at a World Cup,’ wrote Luigi Garlando.
Italy’s media has lamented another World Cup humiliation for the football powerhouse
Gennaro Gattuso fought back tears as he accepted the blame for defeat by Bosnia
‘The truth is that Bosnia was stronger, and we’re tired of thinking about how to improve: technique, leaders… the third Apocalypse is the worst.’
Andrea Ramazzotti described Tuesday’s defeat as ‘the worst nightmare’, insisting that Bosnia had ‘hammered’ the 10-man Italians in what was yet another ‘wasted opportunity’.
The spotlight will undoubtedly be on Gattuso’s position in charge of the nation. The combative former midfielder was emotional after the defeat and fought back tears as he accepted the blame for his side’s elimination.
‘The boys didn’t deserve this beating for their performance, their commitment, their love,’ he said.
‘We had three chances to score. It’s a shame, that’s football. I’m proud of my boys. It hurts because this World Cup was important for us, for our families, for all of Italy, and for our movement. It’s a hard blow for everyone to swallow.’
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian Football Federation, revealed that he has asked Gattuso to continue in his position and described the team’s efforts as ‘heroic’ despite their abject failure.
‘I asked him to stay; he’s a great coach,’ he said. ‘You haven’t seen a moment of great humanity in the locker room between him and the boys, with whom we have a great connection. They were heroic, they gave everything. You can then make your assessments, but the technical aspect must certainly be safeguarded.’
Meanwhile, veteran striker Edin Dzeko led his nation’s celebrations in wild scenes in Sarajevo
Gravina admitted that his future remains less certain. ‘There’s a Federal Council meeting, which is the right place to make these assessments. I’ve convened one for next week; we’ll make the assessments internally. I understand the sudden calls for his resignation; I’ve gotten used to it lately. But the decisions will be made there.’
For Bosnia, it was a night of jubilation as they secured their place at the tournament proper for only the second time in their history.
The triumphant team greeted a sea of fans on the streets of Sarajevo before partying in a nightclub late into the evening, with veteran striker Edin Dzeko, 40, sharing footage of the scenes on his Instagram.
