Italy will miss the World Cup after failing to qualify for the third time in a row. After a North Macedonian bolt from the blue in 2022, and a stultifying two-legged defeat by Sweden five years before that, they lost on penalties in their playoff final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina richly deserve their place at this summer’s tournament. Despite falling behind early to a Moise Kean goal, Sergej Barbarez’s side kept their heads and kept attacking. They ultimately played the Italians off the park, converting four out of four penalties in the shootout.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Dominance
There had been more than enough chances for Bosnia and Herzegovina to win this game inside 90 minutes. Even before Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for Italy on the cusp of half-time, Bosnia and Herzegovina led the shot count by 11 to two. They found an equaliser through Haris Tabakovic in the 79th minute. They battled through a cagey extra-time period and won on penalties for the second time in five days.
Italy’s Nightmare Continues
As their celebrations began, Italy’s nightmare continued. An entire generation of players will never know what it means to play at a World Cup. It was the then president of the Italian Football Federation, Carlo Tavecchio, who used the word “apocalypse” to describe the failure to qualify in 2018. What do we call it now that it has become the norm?
Gattuso’s Apology
“Difficult to digest,” were the words from Italy’s manager, Gennaro Gattuso. He thanked his players for their effort, saying he thought they deserved better. “They surprised me even today with the heart they showed,” he said. “But we are talking about the umpteenth time we aren’t going to the World Cup. I personally apologise for that.”
How Italy Took the Lead
From the outset Italy had looked nervous, giving up a chance as early as the third minute when Amar Memic was granted space to cross from the left. His low centre skirted the six-yard box before Riccardo Calafiori hacked it on to Manuel Locatelli and behind for a corner. Ermedin Demirovic fired in another shot that hopped before landing in the arms of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Mateo Retegui’s pursuit of a Bosnian backpass caused the goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj to panic and deliver the ball straight to another Italian, Nicolò Barella. He found Kean, surging through the middle, who finished first time into the top-right corner. It was his sixth consecutive game scoring for Italy.
Michal Sadilek’s penalty sent the Czech Republic to the World Cup as they beat Denmark 3-1 in a shootout.