One of football's historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low.
Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beaten in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs today.
Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri centre back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalised in the 79th to send the game into extra time.
The added time failed to provide a winner and so the match went to penalties, which Bosnia and Herzegovina won 4-1.
The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.
Bosnia qualified for the first time since 2014 — its only previous appearance.
In the shootout, Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their spot kicks and US-born Esmir Bajraktarević converted the decisive penalty for Bosnia.
“We still don’t believe it — that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy defender Leonardo Spinazzola said. “It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families, and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
The latest ouster means that the 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 champions will go at least 16 years without even playing a match at football's biggest event.
Italy’s World Cup struggles go back all the way to 2010 and 2014, having failed to advance from its group on both occasions.
The Azzurri did win the European Championship in 2021.
Italy’s last World Cup knockout match was when it won the title in 2006 by beating France in a penalty shootout.
The only other World Cup that Italy did not qualify for was in 1958.
Lost generation
An entire generation — basically anyone under 15 — has no memory of the last time Italy played in the World Cup: An elimination loss to Uruguay in 2014 in Brazil remembered for Luis Suarez’s bite of Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder.
None of Italy’s current players have participated in a World Cup finals.
The defeat will raise questions about the status of Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, who took over from the fired Luciano Spalletti in June with the squad already in crisis mode following a defeat at Norway in its opening qualifier.
The Azzurri then went on a six-match winning streak before losing again to Norway in November to finish second in their group and end up in the playoffs again.
Gattuso’s Italy overcame a nervy scoreless first half to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 at home in last week’s playoff semifinals. But the Azzurri struggled even more against Bosnia inside the intimate but imposing 14,000-seat Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, which is surrounded by apartment towers overlooking the field.
“I want to personally apologize since we didn’t make it,” Gattuso said. “Today talking about my future is not important. Today it was important to get to the World Cup.”
The Czech Republic today also qualified on penalties - 3-1 - after their match against Denmark finished in a 2-2 draw.
Sweden beat Poland 3-2, while Türkiye edged Kosovo - who were aiming to reach the World Cup for the first time - 1-0.
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