Should the Azzurri reach the final stage of the World Cup qualifiers, they will challenge the winner between Craig Bellamy’s national team and the one led by Sergej Barbarez away
The draws for the World Cup playoffs are archived: Italy will first face Northern Ireland at home. The eventual playoff final between the winner of Wales-Bosnia will instead be away. Let’s discover Italy’s possible rivals.
Wales
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Wales restarts from the playoffs to chase the World Cup dream. Bellamy’s team, in the second tier, is one of Italy’s possible opponents in the final. The British seem far from insurmountable: in group J they finished in second place behind Belgium, defeating North Macedonia 7-1 in the last round. Coach Craig Bellamy The former striker who also wore the shirts of Liverpool and Manchester City, has led the Welsh national team since 2024. It is his first experience as a manager, previously he had been Kompany’s assistant at both Anderlecht and Burnley. Star Brennan Johnson The Tottenham right winger is one of Wales’ most talented players. Born in 2001, Johnson’s speed on the wing is always a danger.
Bosnia
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Bosnia’s run in group H of the World Cup qualifiers was excellent, with only the home defeat against league leaders Austria last September to be regretted. And the 1-1 in the last round, again against Arnautovic and his teammates. In any case, the goal is to qualify for the World Cup for the second time after the feat of 2014. Coach Sergej Barbarez Bosnian, 54 years old, former footballer and the foreigner with the most appearances in the history of the Bundesliga (330 games with five different teams). Since 2024 he has been the coach of Bosnia, whose shirt he also wore, scoring 17 goals, and this is his first experience on the bench. The star Edin Dzeko We were able to appreciate him in Italy with the Roma and Inter shirts and now with that of Fiorentina, which could be one of the last chapters of a considerable career. Edin Dzeko, the Swan of Sarajevo, at 39 years old wants to give himself one last memorable dance.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
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