For those that follow Italian football,
Italy’s elimination from the Qatar
World Cup – beaten1-0 in March
in a play-off by “minnows” North
Macedonia – was just about the most
inexplicable and unexpected result ofmodern, Italian times.La Repubblica’s
senior football writer, Enrico Curro,
probably got it right when he described
the disaster as “certainly the worst in
112 years of Italian national team
history”.
What happened? Institutional
incompetence, penalties missed
along the qualifying way, and tired and
injured players all led to a woeful attack
of the collective jitters from the same
squad which only eight months earlier
had played bold, brave and sparkling
football on the road to winning the
2020 European Championship.
On paper, this was a complete
mismatch: the FIFA-ranked No.6
side playing at home to a side ranked
67th. Italy are the reigning European
champions and four-time World Cup
winners – only Brazil and GermanyITALYIl disastro di Palermo
Paddy Agnewreports
eye
witness