Italian media reaction: ‘Third Apocalypse’, ‘Hard’ to continue with Gattuso

Italy's national football team faces a profound crisis as they once again failed to qualify for the World Cup, marking their third consecutive absence from the global tournament. This latest elimination has provoked a strong reaction from Italian media, with La Gazzetta dello Sport famously dubbing it the "Third Apocalypse."

The renowned sports daily highlighted the devastating nature of this repeated failure, noting that it has stripped away the initial shock and normalized what should be an unthinkable catastrophe for a footballing nation like Italy. As senior writer Luigi Garlando pointed out, the country will now be waiting until at least 2030 for its next World Cup appearance, meaning an entire generation of young Italians will come of age never having witnessed their national team compete in the sport's pinnacle event.

The decisive play-off match against Bosnia and Herzegovina saw Italy take an early lead through Moise Kean, but the game turned dramatically with Alessandro Bastoni's straight red card before half-time. While there were other debatable refereeing decisions, Gazzetta firmly refused to lay blame on the officials. Columnist Stefano Agresti emphasized that Italy's own errors were more significant, asserting that Bosnia and Herzegovina were simply the stronger side. He dismissed any attempts to cling to minor refereeing grievances when facing a 71st-ranked team, stressing that Italy essentially "threw the match away" themselves, despite having chances even with ten men.

This repeated World Cup failure casts a long shadow over the Azzurri's recent history, making their glorious Euro 2020 victory appear more like an anomaly than a return to form. Agresti underscored this point, stating that recent history clearly shows the exception is not missing the World Cup, but rather the triumph at Wembley. The grim reality, he argued, is the new normal.

Regarding head coach Gennaro Gattuso, Gazzetta conceded that while it's "unfair" to hold him solely responsible—given that previous coaches like Ventura, Mancini, and Spalletti also oversaw World Cup qualification failures—it is "hard to imagine the national team restarting" under the coach who presided over such a critical defeat. The problem, it suggests, runs deeper than just the man on the bench.

The sentiment across the media is a mix of disappointment, anger, and indignation, leading to an urgent call for systemic reform within Italian football. Gazzetta concluded by stressing the absolute emergency and the necessity of extraordinary measures. This includes a focus on strengthening youth sectors, implementing regulations to protect and develop Italian players, and finding the right people with innovative ideas. The message is clear: action cannot be delayed any longer, lest more generations grow up without seeing Italy on the biggest football stage.