Italy worries about the World Cup
“Shamedening”: Press dismantled specially national team
07.06.2025 – 6:29 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The mood in Italy fluctuates between anger and resignation. After the bankruptcy against Norway, media speak of a “shame”.
The false start of the “Squadra Azzurra” to the World Cup qualification triggers bare horror in Italy. The sports newspaper “La Gazzetta Dello Sport” spoke after the 0: 3 against Norway on Friday of a “shameful appearance” and wrote: “The national team we saw yesterday in Oslo was embarrassing. It is legitimate to expect the worst of the worst.”
The newspaper “La Repubblica” also regarded the appearance in Oslo as humiliation. If a miracle does not happen, the playoffs in March are “almost inevitable”. Due to the defeat, the Italian team is already nine points behind the team of Manchester City striker Erling Haarland in the table.
Only the group’s one comes directly. The second has to go to the playoffs. At the moment, Italy is only in the penultimate place in the five-time group. Italy had already missed the world championships in Russia and Qatar and is already worried about participating in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.
The “Gazzetta” ruled that national coach Luciano Spalletti “had arrived at the end of the flagpole”. “In view of a catastrophe such a degree, a radical change of management would be the most logical solution.”
Petitions were already circulating on the Internet that the previous coach of AS Rome, Claudio Ranieri, should take over the national team. However, the 73-year-old has announced that he wanted to retire. Spalletti himself rejected all speculation about a possible replacement. The National team project is out of the question for him.
On Monday evening, Italy has a home game against the bottom of the table Moldova – and absolutely has to score. Norway, on the other hand, has the best chance of qualifying for a World Cup for the first time since 1998.
The Italian disaster also has an impact on other nations. For Germany, this improves the chance to end up with the group draw for the World Cup in Lost pot one, the best lottery pot. With a success in the game for third place in the Nations League against France (Sunday, from 6 p.m. in the T-Online live ticker), the DFB selection could move closer to Italy.