Italy face World Cup humiliation

AFP, MILAN: Four-time champions Italy face missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958, a potential national humiliation likened to the "apocalypse" by the team's fanatical supporters.

Italy need to overturn a 1-0 play-off first-leg defeat against Sweden at the San Siro on Monday. National coach Gian Piero Ventura insists his team will not falter but the 69-year-old gave his critics more ammunition in the build-up to the game by claiming he was “amazed people are surprised we're in the play-offs”.

“We knew from the moment we picked Spain in the group phase that we'd be heading for the play-offs. Nobody can be surprised we reached this point.

“I realise this is the way it works in Italy, but I didn't expect all this,” he added of the reaction generated by the humiliation of an impending exit.

“We started out with people talking about the apocalypse.”

Italy were second to Spain in the group phase and never recovered from their confidence-denting 3-0 defeat early September in Madrid.

Ventura has come under fire for stubbornly sticking to a failing tactical system and overlooking talented Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne, 26.

The Italy coach blamed bad luck and the referee for Friday's defeat in Stockholm.

 

Italy face World Cup humiliation

AFP, MILAN: Four-time champions Italy face missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958, a potential national humiliation likened to the apocalypse by the teams fanatical supporters. Italy need to overturn a 1-0 play-off first-leg defeat against Sweden at the San Siro on Monday. National coach Gian Piero Ventura insists his team will not falter but the 69-year-old gave his critics more ammunition in the build-up to the game by claiming he was amazed people are surprised were in the play-offs. We knew from the moment we picked Spain in the group phase that wed be heading for the play-offs. Nobody can be surprised we reached this point. I realise this is the way it works in Italy, but I didnt expect all this, he added of the reaction generated by the humiliation of an impending exit. We started out with people talking about the apocalypse. Italy were second to Spain in the group phase and never recovered from their confidence-denting 3-0 defeat early September in Madrid. Ventura has come under fire for stubbornly sticking to a failing tactical system and overlooking talented Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne, 26. The Italy coach blamed bad luck and the referee for Fridays defeat in Stockholm.