Scaloni on Italy’s elimination
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said he was “saddened” by Italy’s exit from World Cup qualifying, after the Azzurri lost the play-off final on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Italy have now failed to reach the World Cup for the third time in a row, a record they are presumably not hanging on the wall. Scaloni, speaking after Argentina’s 5-0 friendly win over Zambia, said the situation hit close to home.
“I have Italian relatives, and what is happening in Italy saddens me,” he said at his post-match press conference.
“It is a brother country to Argentina that cares deeply for us. It is a world power, so the fact that it is not present does not sit well with us Argentines. It is sad because of how it happened, in an unfair way; it is a hard truth to accept.”
World Cup picture
Argentina go into the tournament as defending champions and have been drawn in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, who took Italy’s place in the play-off path, will compete in Group B with Qatar, Canada and Switzerland.
Pressure builds in Italy
Back in Italy, the fallout is already political as well as sporting. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina is under heavy pressure, with the Minister for Sport calling for sweeping changes in the leadership of the Italian Football Federation and effectively suggesting that Gravina should step aside.
The national team’s latest failure has, once again, turned into a conversation about structure, accountability and all the other things football only seems to discover after a disaster.
