When the playoff draw was announced for UEFA’s last three spots in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, many fans were disappointed as Portugal and Italy were drawn in the same bracket. Months of buildup set the stage for this crucial encounter filled with storylines. On one hand, the Ronaldo-led Portuguese team hoped to capitalize on its golden generation while on the other side stood Head Coach Roberto Mancini’s Italy, defending European champions. The prospect of either team missing out would be seen as a national disgrace. Before these heavyweights met, however, they would play their respective semi-finals against Turkey and North Macedonia.
After Diogo Jota doubled Portugal’s lead against Turkey in the 42nd minute, attention shifted to Italy’s game in Sicily. The Azzurri lined up in its traditional 4–3–3 formation with an experienced midfield trio of Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolò Barella. The game panned out like many expected with Italy dominating possession as North Macedonia sat deep in its half and looked to break on the counter. Despite having 65% of possession and 32 shots, Italy struggled to finish off key opportunities and kill the game. The North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski was kept busy and made several crucial saves. Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi, who started on the right, missed a golden opportunity in the 29th minute as a goalkeeping error gave him an open goal to shoot at. In the second half, Italy continued creating openings around the box but lacked efficiency in the final third. Joint Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile was isolated against the opposition center backs and struggled with finishing on the night. Deep into stoppage time, a hopeful goal kick with the help of a deflected header landed at the feet of Aleksandar Trajkovski, who controlled the ball on his chest, steadied himself despite the closing pack of blue shirts and buried the ball beyond the desperate dive of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Silence engulfed the Renzo Barbera stadium as the Italian players watched in disbelief. Just like the game against Sweden in 2017, which also ended in a 1–0 defeat, Italy had failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Since Fabio Cannavaro lifted the trophy in 2006, Italy hasn’t won a single knockout game in the competition.
After winning the Euros against England on penalties, Italy has only managed to defeat Lithuania in World Cup qualifications. Unimpressive draws against Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Switzerland had some questioning Mancini’s leadership, but most believed that Italy was simply in a rough patch. Against North Macedonia, Italy’s complacent style didn’t go unpunished, and Mancini’s future will definitely be reassessed in the coming weeks. The decision to call up Mario Balotelli, coincidentally Italy’s last scorer at a World Cup, surprised many as the striker has been playing for smaller teams in France and Italy after leaving Liverpool in 2015. Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini defended his manager and teammates saying that the side will bounce back, but for many, this failure reflects the flawed structure of Italian football which needs reforms both on and off the field.
