Missing the World Cup for the fourth time in history, the fall of European champions Italy is really unexpected.
Facing North Macedonia, which was considered a "big gift package" before the match, 32 shots on goal were fruitless, and they were killed by their opponents in stoppage time... Italy, which has received a bento in two consecutive play-offs, has single-handedly created horror on FIFA matchdays.
Especially under the huge aura of the European Cup champion, the exit is particularly eye-catching and stunned.
In the qualifiers, 3 points were conceded from penalties to 1 point, the whole team had no reliable shooters, the opponent "raised wolves" in Serie A, and Mancini in the bright was thoroughly studied... In just 8 months, from the European championship to the World Cup spectator, what happened to the Italian team?
Trajkovski beat the Italian team.
Two penalties conceded and self-inflicted
"We haven't been able to score goals and I'm the one who caused that problem. Whenever I think about it, I feel very sad, and more unfortunately, I will think about it for the rest of my life. I conceded two penalties, which is something that will keep me carrying, and it's very heavy. ”
On the night of the exit, Jorginho, who was holding back tears, took the initiative to take the biggest pot after the game.
To be sure, Jorginho's blame, while manly enough, is also a fact that cannot be avoided.
In both legs against Switzerland, Jorginho conceded penalties.
In September and November last year, the top opponents of the Italian group, Switzerland, and the Blueshirts both won penalties that could kill the game, but Jorginho, who walked 12 yards, although maintaining his usual jumping main penalty, once shot was weak and was saved by Sommer; once flew directly into the stands.
2 strong conversations, the 3 points in hand have become 1 point, even if they can score 1 of them and win 1 of them, Italy will not finally miss the group with a 2-point difference and once again step into the familiar play-off journey.
Admittedly, penalties have never been Italy's forte, and fans will name a long list of unlucky eggs such as Roberto Baggio, Baresi, Di Biagio, Albertini, etc., but the above shooting losses all occurred in the World Cup finals, and the seemingly "insignificant" episode of this World Preliminary Tournament became the last straw that crushed the camel.
Jorginho regretted it after the game.
And the penalty shoot is just one of the manifestations of Italy's "drifting" after winning the European championship.
In the second half of last year, the BlueShirts won only 2 of their 7 official matches, and after their 1192-day unbeaten golden body was broken by their long-time rival Spain, they were even forced to draw by Bulgaria and Northern Ireland, which are not even second-rate strong teams.
But optimistic fans have always believed that this is just a small episode before the team returns to the World Cup – after all, after the unprecedented victory of the European Championship, the players have relaxed and it is common sense.
The more ambitious result was that the Serie A powers refused to make way for the play-offs, and it was not until Monday that they dragged their feet until Monday, and after the 23 man mannchini hand-picked were assembled, there was only one day of joint practice time...
The second old man is not there, everything is off?
Compared with the battle at Wembley 8 months ago, the most significant change in the Italian team's starting lineup is the collective absence of the defensive "Second Old Man" Chiellini and Bonucci, and what eventually leads to the exit is also a small defensive problem that should not be a problem:
With the defensive line basically in place, no one pressed Trajkovsky forward, and as a result, the opponent had no reason to talk about the long-range shot, ending all flukes and fantasies.
Needless to say, despite the fact that the total is about to turn 73, Juventus' two major centre-backs are still the biggest magic weapon of this blueshirt. At the beginning of Mancini's tenure, he first established the core position of Bonucci's defensive line, and first talked on the back of the phone, recalling Chiellini, who was planning to retire.
The duo's contribution to the European Cup journey was particularly evident in the semi-finals and finals: Chiellini's fighting spirit drained Spain, which dominated the entire field, while Bonucci equalised in the final and scored a penalty, the one who was closer to the hero than the official MVP Donnarumma.
Bonucci comforted his teammates after the game.
However, no matter how reliable mr. Key, he cannot resist the erosion of time. For more than half a year, the "Second Elder of the Dark Underworld" has been plagued by injuries, and Bonucci can only watch from the sidelines, while Chiellini's final substitute appearance seems to be only to witness the embarrassing moment of being killed.
Their time is likely to end very reluctantly, and the starting Bastoni and Gianluca Mancini, with the speed of fame of Italian defenders, may have to pay tuition for at least 2 major competitions.
But what makes Mancho more helpless than the defensive line is that another European Cup hero, Chiesa Jr., also missed the play-off due to injury.
In fact, the result of his continuous injury fighting at the European Championship is that his injury has worsened to the point where it has significantly affected his career.
Without Chiesa Jr., Italy lost the front line.
Front, no one available
Although in the last European Championship qualifiers and group stages, he came up with a top-notch offensive performance, but the clear-eyed people can see that Mancho, who constantly instilled offensive football into his disciples, after tasting the tactical dividends, was also quickly repulsed by the lack of superstars on the offensive end.
Without the number one offensive weapon, Mancini had to continue to gamble on Immobile, who had done nothing in the last play-off, and Insigne, a veteran who had reported to Canada after playing this season.
Peraldi of Sassuolo and two substitutes, Ras padoli and João Pedro, are even more awkward faces: the former also plays for Sassuolo, and the latter is the scorer of Cagliari, who has just been naturalized into the team.
Out, who is to blame?
There is no doubt that although in the European Cup, the blue shirt forwards can still rely on collective coordination to play a board and an eye, but the gap in individual ability is extremely obvious when attacking the attack.
Since the beginning of this century, the Italian team's forwards have gone from star-studded to gradually withering, and the clear-eyed people are looking at it and anxious in their hearts. 20 years ago, Trapattoni's trouble was which two of Vieri, Totti, Piero, and Inzaghi were on the bench, and which one of divay and Di Natale was abandoned.
Now, which of the above famous players gave Mancini, and the BlueShirts will be so troubled by scoring goals? Unfortunately, history has never tolerated assumptions.
Flights to Qatar have been cancelled.
Where have all the young people gone?
The European Championship Winners of the World Preliminaries seem to have become a tacit curse in the industry: Denmark, the 1992 European Championship champion, and the 2004 European Championship champion Greece, finally failed to qualify in the next World Preliminary Tournament, and the Italian team did not follow in the footsteps of the two teams.
But it is clear that Denmark and Greece won the European Championship, both of which are uncompromising upsets, and the overall strength of the two teams is limited, and the folding is also expected.
However, Italy is far above the two teams in terms of overall strength and historical background, and it has missed the Final Week of the World Cup for two consecutive times, which is undoubtedly the darkest moment in team history.
You know, before 2017, the Blueshirts only missed 2 World Cups, and in Europe they were in the same slot as Germany - two absences were not invited to the first World Cup, and the other was when the 1958 World Cup was blocked by Northern Ireland outside the final week.
Helpless Mancini.
Although Mancini, who resigned before the game, said that he could not play in the World Cup, he has turned the tide and expressed his willingness to lead the team to the end of the contract, but it is clear that Mancho's next World Cup cycle will be more difficult to continue.
After 4 years, the "Second Elder of the Dark Underworld" has basically retired; the two-time out sinners Jorginho and Inmobile may also fade out of the starting lineup; the future of the old sick numbers Verati, Spinazzola and others is also uncertain.
Mancho can rely on, in addition to Donnaruma, who has been in a significant state for a year, but also hope that The Younger Chiesa will recover as soon as possible, and Locatelli, Barrera and others will maintain the current level. But beyond that, there is very little fresh blood on the team.
In the future, has Mancini thought about it?
As the Italian U21 national team Nicorato complained: "Now on average, only 2.7 people per Serie A team are Italian national youth players, these players play only 4% of the total playing time, and more than 80% of the appearances are after the game is 70 minutes. ”
"In the past, the national youth team was formed around Serie A players, now we are formed around Serie B players, and one day we may even form around Serie A players. The 22-year-old is still a child in the eyes of many clubs, and in Spain, some players born in 2003 have already played with Enrique. ”
Where did the playing time that should have belonged to the Italian youth go? Without exception, they have been squeezed out by low-cost foreign aid, such as the hero Trajkovsky, who played in Palermo for many years.
Serie A's deteriorating finances and the blindside restrictions on foreign aid quotas have led to more and more small and medium-sized teams "fishing for the wrong door", frequently "wholesale" from Eastern Europe, South America and Africa. The more talented foreign aides of the same age group, although they have created more and more "one-goal fame" in Serie A, have shaken the Apennines' youth tradition from the foundation.
Is it possible that the future of Italian football should also learn from the Chinese Football Association and engage in a U23 or U20 policy? (Supine Braces/Yang Jian)
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