Leaning against a wall near a news-stand in central Rome, Tommaso Silvestri, 65, scans the morning's front pages, their headlines swinging between apocalypse, scandal and disaster after Italy's latest footballing collapse.
We've made a real mess of it, he says, shaking his head. We had players who couldn't even find the target. The golden days of Italian football are well and truly gone.
On Tuesday night in Zenica, four-time World Cup winners Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third consecutive time, losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina after being reduced to 10 men before halftime. Since winning the World Cup in 2006, the Azzurri have largely disappointed in international tournaments, with the exception of their surprise victory at the Euros in 2021 against England at Wembley.
We are what our results say we are, Silvestri said. When you shoot and can't even hit the goal, you're not going to go far. When it comes to taking the game home, Italy just doesn't get there anymore.
Last night's defeat drew swift and emotional reactions across Italian politics and society. Everything has a limit, lamented Ignazio La Russa, president of the Senate.
Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano pointed to deeper structural failures in Italian football, mentioning corruption and lack of investment in youth development. Clubs are corrupt and at the mercy of criminal organisations. True laundering vaults. No investment in young players, no care for second-generation talent.
Across Italy, many are wondering what went wrong. Giovanni Colli, 71, in a café near the Pantheon, feels betrayed: Not going to the World Cup three times in a row, how on earth did it happen? What a huge disappointment. Everyone should resign. Give the young players a chance.
The heartbreak of Italy's elimination was epitomized by coach Rino Gattuso, who struggled to contain his emotions post-defeat: We don't deserve this, it's not fair. I'm sorry I couldn't make it happen.\u200b
Even without going to the World Cup, Gattuso expressed pride in his players: I'm proud of my boys and what they gave on the pitch. However, the national team’s future appears uncertain, as expert opinions suggest a lack of focus on sustaining talent and fostering a competitive spirit.
Elisabetta Esposito, a sport journalist, stresses that rebuilding requires a long-term strategy: Rushed decisions won't succeed. The disappointment is profound, but the country is almost disillusioned. It's as if a new generation no longer knows what it means to cheer for their country.
