Italy fail to qualify AGAIN

[Will Green]

Graham Potter fails, yet still comes up smelling of roses?

Suuuurely not

He came in right at the end of qualifying though. He’s done well to turn them from bottom of their group to play off winners in a short time.

 

[Will Green]

Nobody loves a massive dollop of footballing Schadenfreude more than me but I can't bring myself to enjoy this one.

I mean FFS, we're going to have what, something like 100+ teams at the WC this time? OK, I exagerrate a tad but it is a ludicrously bloated tournament now which includes places virtually guaranteed to score you a zero on that 'Pointless' show. Cape Verde? or better still Curacao anyone ?? Yet somehow we won't now see Italy. That's insane. They should give them a pass simply so we can see those fabulous Azurri shirts that immediately conjure up such iconic images from the golden past like the Marco Tardelli's goal scream or Paolo Rossi's brilliant hat-trick against Brazil.

No, I can't help but feel the tournament will be poorer without them.

I don’t get the romanticising of the Italian football team. As far back as my memory goes as a football fan, I can remember Italy being known for fouling, diving, cheating, match fixing, bribery, buying refs, betting scandals. They’re famous for it, and corruption was embedded in their game. They may have cleaned it up now but for me they’ll always be the Italy of Gentile, kicking Maradona out of the 82 World Cup, and Rossi lauded at 82 even though he was banned for two years for match fixing (was meant to be 3 years but was reduced to 2 so he could play in 82) or Chielini staying on the pitch after his blatant foul on Saka in 21.

Can’t stand the team (love the country and still reminisce being there for Italia 90) and laughed at their demise last night. Good riddance.

 

[Les Ritson]

Peaks and trough in all things , Italy will return.

 

[Will Green]

Peaks and trough in all things , Italy will return.

It’s a deep trough. Won it in 2006, failed to get out of group stage 2010, 2014, since then not qualified.

 

[Hexagon9]

To me it’s a bit of a conundrum.
In the old days if it was held in Europe either Germany/West Germany won it or Italy won it. If it was elsewhere Argentina or Brazil won it.
Now there are more potential winners, which should be a good thing and yet the World Cup feels less exciting with each event that passes.

 

[Les Ritson]

For me the WC should have the following for football reasons.

England, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Holland and Spain.

Also Peru, only because I've always loved their strip.

Teofilio Cubillas and Chumpitaz were two of my favourite players growing up, didn’t see much of them but loved their names !

 

[Ave IT]

I don’t get the romanticising of the Italian football team. As far back as my memory goes as a football fan, I can remember Italy being known for fouling, diving, cheating, match fixing, bribery, buying refs, betting scandals. They’re famous for it, and corruption was embedded in their game. They may have cleaned it up now but for me they’ll always be the Italy of Gentile, kicking Maradona out of the 82 World Cup, and Rossi lauded at 82 even though he was banned for two years for match fixing (was meant to be 3 years but was reduced to 2 so he could play in 82) or Chielini staying on the pitch after his blatant foul on Saka in 21.

Can’t stand the team (love the country and still reminisce being there for Italia 90) and laughed at their demise last night. Good riddance.

Yes and ... NO!!

The thing is the 'other' stuff you mention is all part and parcel of it and actually adds to their iconic stature for me. Its part of their identity and sheer presence (or sadly their absence now). Its the light and the dark. They have been masters of both.

Yes, Gentille did an absolute number on Maradonna (who never cheated did he?). Gentille famously said afterwards "football is not a game for ballerinas" . The story goes that Maradonna said to him as they walked off at half time, "Can I go to the bathroom now, or will you follow me there too?" to which Gentile replied, "Yes, you can go, but in 10 minutes, I will be your nightmare again".
Another quote I love from that WC is from Jimmy Greaves who was a TV pundit : "Tardelli and Gentille have put more scar tissue on people than the surgeons at Harefield hospital".

And yes, there was something soooo Italian about a player disgraced and banned for a betting scandal (he always claimed innocence though) who comes back to score an epic hat-trick in one of the great WC matches and upsets of all time.

They are four times WC winners, have appeared in six finals, plus a third and fourth place finish. They are steeped in WC history, given us great moments, great players, great characters and provided moments of magic and controversy. If you cant romanticise about Italy then who can you?

By the way .... I adore the country too

 

[Lousy Pint]

Claudio Gentile, what a player!
Those were the days my friends

 

[Clare Spencer]

Italians must be well "Zoffed" off they did not qualify for the World Cup

 

[Aaron D.]

I laughed at their misfortune just as you laugh at a mate who trips up.
I won't miss them.
Hopefully Spurs get relegated too....

 

[Steve Newman]

Mamma mia

 

[Nick Colbourne]

It’s bizarre that they won Euro 2020. How did we let that happen?

Because they were arguably the best team of the tournament and beat us on penalties on the day.