Italy has previously won the World Cup four times, but in a surprising turn of events, the national team has failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup after a penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina. This marks a significant moment in Italian football history, as no previous winner of the tournament has missed three consecutive installments of the competition.
The match saw Italy take an early lead when Moise Kean scored in the 15th minute. However, the situation turned dire for the Azzurri when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off just five minutes before halftime, leaving the team to play with ten men.
Despite the setback, Italy managed to hold on until the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic scored the equalizer for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The match ultimately went to penalties, where Bosnia-Herzegovina scored all their penalties, sealing Italy’s fate.
Gennaro Gattuso, the coach of Italy, expressed his disappointment, stating, “It hurts, because we needed it for us, for all of Italy and for our movement. A blow that’s difficult to digest.” His sentiments were echoed by player Leonardo Spinazzola, who lamented, “Italian children will see another World Cup without Italy.”
Spinazzola also reflected on the match, saying, “I still can’t believe that we went out like this, after playing with 10 men. With grit, we took it to penalties, we could have scored three or four goals and it’s really a great disappointment for everyone.”
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several crucial saves during the match, but it was not enough to prevent the defeat. Gabriele Gravina, head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has yet to comment on the future of the national team.
As Italy faces the aftermath of this significant loss, Gattuso noted, “It is not the time to talk about my future despite the Azzurri failing to qualify for a third straight World Cup.” Observers will be watching closely to see how Italian football will respond to this setback.
With Bosnia-Herzegovina qualifying for the World Cup for the second time in their history, the team celebrates a historic achievement, while Italy must grapple with the implications of their failure to qualify.
