ZENICA.- There will not be two without three and the curse of the playoffs hit again Italy. Absent from the last two World Cups, the Nazionale will not be in the edition of North America 2026 after losing to Bosnia on penalties (1-1; 4-1) in the final of the European playoff this Tuesday in Zenica.
It is already a custom for Italy, four-time world champion and double champion of Europebut the blow is forceful and difficult to digest for a country crazy about “calcium.”
As for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the Nazionale was choked in the playoffs, this time against Bosnia (66th in the ranking FIFA).
Italy took the lead with a goal Moise Kean (15′), but the locals equalized through the striker Haris Tabakovi (79′), after the expulsion of the Azzurro central defender Alessandro Bastoni in the 41st minute.
In the fateful shootout, the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma did not stop any of the four shots by the Bosnians, who will play the second World of its history.
Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante failed for the Azzurra of Gennaro Gattuso from eleven meters.
In the two previous World Cups, Italy did not overcome the obstacle of the playoffs, on both occasions at home, against Sweden for him Russian World Cupand before North Macedonia four years later for the Qatar World Cup.
Italy had finished 2nd in its qualifying group I (18 points), behind Norwaywho defeated him in their two meetings (3-0 in Oslo and 4-1 in San Siro).
End of the cycle for Gattuso?
This failure could cost Gattuso his job, appointed coach to replace Luciano Spalletti in June 2025 after the debacle in Norway at the start of the qualifiers.
Under the direction of the former midfielder of the AC Milanworld champion in 2006, Italy won six of its last eight games.
Gattuso, 48, also managed to install a team spirit in an Italian team (12th in the FIFA ranking) that has recently lacked great individual talents and charismatic players.
During the initial phase of 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico (June 11-July 19), Bosnia, which will play its second World Cup after Brazil 2014will face in group B Canada, Taste and Swiss.
