Roberto Mancini, the manager of Italy’s World Cup team, has been left unscathed after coming under intense pressure from fans and media following the country’s shocking exit from Russia. The former Manchester City boss has defended his decision to drop goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for a last-minute penalty shootout defeat against Sweden in Sochi on Saturday.
The “world cup qualifiers – europe” is a topic that has been in the news. Roberto Mancini, manager of Italy’s national team, was safe amid Italy’s shock World Cup woe.
Despite Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, Italian Football Federation head Gabriele Gravina has said that he wants Roberto Mancini to stay in command of the national squad.
Following the Azzurri’s 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia in Thursday’s playoff semifinal in Palermo, Gravina acknowledged adjustments are required, but a coaching change is not one of them.
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“I hope Mancini will put aside the animosity we all feel and continue because he has a responsibility to us,” Gravina added.
Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 victory last summer, called the startling defeat against North Macedonia, which eliminated Italy from the World Cup for the second consecutive year, his “greatest personal disappointment” and said the loss was “too huge” to discuss his future.
Mancini and Italy, according to Gravina, must move on from this terrible setback and return stronger.
“You have to accept these judgements when you’re in the realm of sport,” he remarked. “The excitement of the European Championship is still there, but now comes this unexpected sorrow, possibly an unfair outcome, but this is football.”
“There is a project underway, and we will respond accordingly. We must keep our heads held high and defend our love for our national team. We need to understand the nature of some of the errors that have been made.”
Despite Italy’s unexpected World Cup qualifying defeat on Thursday, Roberto Mancini’s job is secure. Getty Images/MB Media
Gravina sees this as a chance to make improvements that will assist the national team.
Everyone must be on board for this to happen.
“This outcome indicates that, beyond changes or formats, something has to be done in our sport,” he remarked. “We’re starting to question whether our kids should be playing in our leagues more.” Only 30% of Italian players are utilized in the Primavera [Italian youth league].
“I’m disappointed that the [national team] players only met for one day to prepare for this game, but I don’t want to stir up a debate.”
“There are genuine commercial interests tied to club management, and there is usually strong opposition from the clubs when it comes to the national team. The national squad is seen as a nuisance rather than a symbol of national unity.”
Mancini said that he does not feel the players are the root of the issue.
“I’m not sure how we got here [playoffs],” he added afterward. “We won a European title and went two and a half years without losing, so I know our guys are really excellent,” he says.
Jorginho of Chelsea, who missed two penalties against Switzerland in qualifying, including one in a 1-1 draw in November that would have given Italy straight entry to the World Cup, said after the defeat on Thursday: “It saddens me to think about those [penalties]. That is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Missing twice and being unable to assist your nation is something that sticks with you.”
“It was a nightmare,” Marco Verratti of Paris Saint-Germain said. We must pose inquiries to ourselves. Although there is some bad luck, luck is desired. It’s difficult to make the transition from the stars to the stables. You have to score in football, and we didn’t.
“I had a lot of fun with my teammates, and I’ll always be proud of them.”
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