It will take the Italians a long time to get over their national football team’s exit from the World Cup 2018 in Russia. Such a disaster had occurred almost 60 years ago. Since then, Italy had emerged as a major football force, last winning the World Cup in 2006.
It is Apocalypse Now for the Italians, as one newspaper put it. The shame of the exit is compounded with an economy which has lost steam due to the financial crisis facing Europe. The Italian setback is set to cost the country’s economy at least one billion euro indirectly. These include TV rights, sponsorship, participation money and other football related deals.
A World Cup victory has always had a positive impact on the Italian economy and had actually added at least one per cent to the country’s GDP in an earlier instance.
So the Italians are facing a double whammy when they wake up to the reality of their team’s disastrous exit. The sadness of the setback will be replaced by the depression of daily life in a few days.
One of the worst moments happened at the San Siro Stadium in Milan after the second leg draw with Sweden confirmed Italy’s exit. The dream of a soccer legend ended in inconsolable tears. Italy’s captain Gianluigi Buffon retired after the defeat, his face bathed in tears.
It was described as “the face of the whole nation” on that dreadful day. Buffon was a champion footballer and all of Italy mourned with him. He deserved a better end than this. His rocklike presence in the goal spurred many an Italian victory in his long career. Along with him went two other top players – Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Barzagli – all part of Italy’s former World Cup winning side.
Where did Italy actually go wrong? Experts feel that they lacked strategy throughout the qualification.
Coach Gian Piero Ventura must take the major blame for not having a proper playing strategy. He tried three different combinations without actually settling for one.
Sweden have always been a defensive side, relying on their tall defenders to keep away the opponents. Italy should have attacked instead and should have had an additional striker up front.
Unfortunately, Lorenzo Insigne was sidelined on the bench instead of playing as Italy’s strategy of two forwards edged him out.
Insigne’s the future of Italian’s football with his skill and his entry would have energised the team. There were other players too who were thrown in the deep end throughout the qualification at wrong times and most of them failed to survive.
Sadly, there were so many tactical blunders throughout the qualifiers. When the Italians finally wake from their disappointment, they will realise that this team was rudderless and the exit was only a matter of time.
Ventura will have to go. The Italians have quite a few options.
Italy must target the Euro Cup to make some sort of an impact and start the comeback trail. The Italian magic has always enlivened many a World Cup. The fact that they won four times underlines their appeal.
Ciao Italy. There are five years to get the great act together.
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#All views expressed in this column are the authors and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.
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