Italy shocked when it lost tickets to the World Cup: Hell’s door opened from heaven

“Nooooooooo!” – That was the big headline in the Tuttosport paper published this morning. Perhaps, on the day of the Italian disaster, the reporter did not need to think too much about the good headline on the front page. Just such an exclamation is enough to tear the hearts of fans in the Boot-shaped land.

The front page of Corriere dello Sport carried the equally painful headline: “The Door to Hell”. Attached is a picture of Jorginho and Donnarumma holding their faces in pain. Of course, the person who chose this photo also had intentions. Because, those are the two players who “directly decided” that Italy … lost tickets to the World Cup.

Up to the time this article was published, there were regularly articles criticizing Coach Mancini and his students, who they considered as national heroes in July last year. when Italy won Euro 2020.

For the second time in a row, the Italian team failed to win tickets to the World Cup. But compared to the defeat to Sweden in the play-off match for the 2018 World Cup, this defeat is much more painful, torn and haunting.

There is a remarkable detail, in the match against North Macedonia, the Federation football Italy did not choose the Olimpico stadium (Roma) to host the team’s home match as usual. Instead, they chose the “mecca” of Renzo Barbera of Palermo, which is known as the center of the mafia in Italy. One of the intentions of this selection was nothing more than to “warn” the players about the life-or-death nature of the fight.

Perhaps, even the most dreamy could not expect that Italy will lose to North Macedonia, a team 61 places behind them on the FIFA rankings. Although North Macedonia has risen strongly over the years (ever attended Euro 2020), but perhaps, they are too small if placed next to the “giant” Italy.

And in fact, Coach Mancini’s army turned Renzo Barbera into its own stage. They controlled the ball to nearly 70%, launched 32 shots but failed to score. Meanwhile, North Macedonia only had two shots on target and they had one goal.

Of course, after each failure, experts will have no less reason to dissect. There are arguments that Mancini has been caught or he is too conservative in trusting the old factors, the same old formula as the Euro 2020 championship.

And perhaps, for many days to come, coach Mancini’s teachers and students will still have to hear many such criticisms. After all, that’s the usual “treatment” of losers. Just 9 months ago, they were put on the same blue cloud. At that time, even the Italian teacher was described as a reformer who dared to boldly erase prejudices to open a new path.

Only few people expect that the door to hell has opened since they were still in heaven. They fell inexplicably after winning Euro 2020. To fall into this situation, Italy threw away not one but four opportunities to win tickets to the 2022 World Cup.

After the victory over England at Wembley, Italy was held to 4 matches in the second half of the qualifying round World Cup 2022 against Bulgaria, Switzerland (2 games), Northern Ireland. Just win 1/4 of these draws, they will automatically have tickets to Qatar. It should be emphasized that all four of these teams are not at the same level as Italy.

At least, Jorginho has twice thrown away Italy’s ticket to progress when he missed both penalties in two matches against Switzerland. After the match against North Macedonia, the Chelsea midfielder admitted that those two missed kicks would haunt him for life. But does that repentance change anything?

In fact, from the past to the present, Italy has been “crushed” like that. After being eliminated early in the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 (eliminated in the group stage), they suddenly rose to the 2006 World Cup. Two years later, Italy was eliminated in the quarterfinals of Euro 2008, before entering the World Cup. The worst cup in history. At the 2010 World Cup, they were eliminated from the group stage without a win against three weak opponents, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.

At Euro 2012, the Azzurri surprised many people when they reached the final, but then they quickly fell into a loop of irony when they were once again eliminated from the group stage of the 2014 World Cup when they were in the same group. with England, Costa Rica and Uruguay. Then, they were in crisis when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals of Euro 2016, not participating in the 2018 World Cup, before being crowned at Euro 2020.

Just like that, Italy went from heaven to hell countless times. Stability is always a luxury for Thien Thanh shirt team.

Saying Italy will collapse after not being able to attend the 2022 World Cup? Don’t be shocked if they do something big again at Euro 2024.

But thinking about it first, it’s clear that Italy needs a big enough reform at the moment to get over the heartbreaking pain. In particular, the generation of Chiellini, Insigne, and Immobile can give way to younger and more promising generations.

Don’t be sad because life is always moving. Only the weak don’t know how to get up!