Italy’s non-direct qualification to Qatar 2022 is described as ‘an unexpected failure’

Only four months after having made Europe fall in love with his magical nights, continental champion Italy paid a hard hangover to do not qualify directly for Qatar-2022 and having to play the pass in a play-off in March. Explanations for an ‘unexpected failure’:

The fairy tale is over

The tough 0-0 in Belfast on Monday confirmed the difficulties of the European champion: Solo has won two games out of seven since lifting the trophy at Wembley, with four draws and one defeat, against Spain (2-1) in the semifinals of the League of Nations, what put end to a record 37-game series without losing.

Qualification for Qatar, which seemed on track after the initial three victories in March (six goals scored, none conceded), was twisted with four draws in the last five games, two against their direct rival Switzerland (0-0 and 1-1) , with a penalty missed by Jorginho in each of them.

What’s more Italy drew against Bulgaria in Florence (1-1) and on Monday in Belfast. Far from the height that a European champion should have.

“Magic is over. Nobody on the night of July 11, with a glass in hand and a future that seemed radiant, imagined such a bitter epilogue, “the newspaper said. Corriere della Sera, as a sample of an Italian press stunned by what happened.

‘What a nightmare’, Title The Gazzetta dello Sport.

Tired heroes

Some of the Italian heroes of the Euro have been low in the decisive matches of November. Marco Verratti and Giorgio Chiellini, with habitual physical problems, they were injured again.

Lorenzo Insigne, Nicolo Barella, Federico Chiesa, Domenico Berardi, Manuel Locatelli... All those who played, who had shone at the European Championship, were far from their best version in Belfast.

Jorginho, European champion with Chelsea and with his national team, cited among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or, symbolizes the autumn slump like no one else. Unable to change the beat and guilty of missing both penalties that would have changed the World Cup destiny of his team.

Unarmed attack

Also, the usual equipment problem, absence of an effective scorer. Ciro ImmobileA priori the ideal player, he does not show with the Nazionale the success he has had in recent years with Lazio. When he is injured, as in the last two games, there is no real alternative either.

Finally, the lack of physical freshness was joined by the attitude, far from the ambition that the National de Roberto Mancini. The players seemed trapped by fear and the ghosts of the failure of 2017, when the team fell in the playoffs to Sweden and missed the 2018 World Cup.

A tough test awaits him in March: Two single-game qualifiers and the rivals will not be easy –Portugal, Poland, Russia, Sweden again… November 26 will be the draw.

Leonardo Bonucci recognized the metamorphosis of the group: “We played for the pleasure, without the pressure to prove something, we are now European champions, unconsciously something has been blocked. (D)