ZENICA (BOSNIA) (ITALPRESS) – After having already skipped the last two editions, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, Italy is missing the World Cup for the third time in a row: in the decisive final of the play-offs played in Zenica, the Azzurri give to the rigori against Bosnia. Decisive the errors of Pio Esposito and Criden.
Gattuso confirms the same eleven of Bergamo’s semi-finals, with Donnarumma between the poles and the three defense composed of Calafiori, Bastoni and Mancini. On the outer space in Politano and Dimarco, in midfield Locatelli escorted by Barella and Tonali, with the pair Kean-Retegui in attack. Barbarez repeated the usual 4-4-2 with Dedic bass on the right and Dzeko as offensive reference, supported by Demirovic. During the entry into the field, the reading of the formations and the Italian anthem, the Bosnian public applauded the blue: in 1996, in fact, Italy was the first Federation to want to play in Bosnia after the conflict.
We expected a complicated match and with few occasions, but from the first few minutes the two teams were not spared: the first ball happened to the hosts, in a confused action Calafiori hit Locatelli, with the ball deviated in corner. At 7′ Demirovic tried it with a personal action, but Donnarumma blocked it without problems. At 15′, Italy went ahead: on a wrong passage of Vasilj, Barella recovered the ball by serving Kean, who first wanted to unlock the challenge.
Bosnia has tried on football and with a conclusion of Dzeko, Donnarumma has passed instead on the shooting of Basic. At 38′ the sharpest opportunity of the first time for the Bosnians, Dzeko of head failed to direct towards the mirror of the door. At 41′ the new episode that changed the course of the challenge: Memic, escaped on the left, was stretched from Bastoni, for Turpin was red directed for a clear gol occasion. Gattuso ran to the shelters by deploying Gatti instead of Retegui, the Barbarez team pushed on the accelerator, but failed to find the net of the tie.
In the second half Gattuso sent to the field Palestra per Politano, with Italy that in fact defended with five men. Bosnia, thanks to the numerical superiority, tried to exploit the field factor, Donnarumma was decisive in the shooting of Alajbegovic. At 15′, on a misdemeanour of the defense of the house, Kean left in counterfeit, but he devoured the opportunity for the 2-0. At the 27′ other opportunity for Bosnia, but Donnarumma has passed again on Tahirovic. At 32′ Italy has been reviewed in the opponent’s area, but Dimarco has not framed the door. At 34′ the Bosnian tie arrived: in a confused action Tabakovic put in the door an easy tap-in (after the yet another rejected of Donnarumma on the line), useless protests by the blues for a alleged Dzeko foul on Mancini.
To the additional Gattuso has inserted Spinazzola instead of Dimarco, but Italy has played little on the shelters trying to protect its door. At one minute from the end of the first extra time, Palestra was stretched from Muharemovic out of area, but Turpin opted for yellow. On the next action Vasilj saved on Pio Esposito instead. In the final of the second additional time it was Tahirovic to scare the blues with a short-finished conclusion on the bottom. From the decisive diskette the errors of Pio Esposito and Crilen. Bosnians all in goal, Italy still outside the World Cup.
GATTUS “ORGOGLIOSO delle RAGAZZI, CHIEDO SCUSA”
“Our boys didn’t deserve a fight so much for the love they put – the words at the end of the race of the ct Rino Gattuso, who struggles to hold tears – We stayed in ten and we are sorry, but this is football. I’m proud of my boys. Clearly it hurts because we needed it. It’s a crazy thing to get out like this, I think it’s been unfair today. This will be a tough fight to digest, the boys surprised me too for knitting. I personally apologize because I didn’t make it, but today the boys impressed me. I haven’t seen a national with a heart like this for years. It hurts but you have to accept it, I don’t want to talk about arbitrators. We could have done the second goal, but I think we gave it all. The team has done what it had to do, it has long been asked for attachment to the shirt. Today the episodes have condemned us.” “Today, speaking of my future is not important – he added – Today it was important to go to the Worlds, we are sorry.”.
THANKS “I have a CLOSE AND FURNITURE OF REESTING”
“The mood is evident, especially as the result has matured – the reflection of the president of Figc, Gabriele Gravina – We congratulate the boys, who in recent months have had an incredible growth. There was a desire to give joy to our country. I also compliment Gattuso, who was a great coach. I asked him and Buffon to stay behind these guys. For me the technical part is to be safeguarded 100%, as far as the political part is concerned, we will be thinking about the extraordinary federal council for the next week. We will make internal evaluations, which are entitled to the Federal Council. I understand the exercise of the request for subspined resignation to which I am accustomed, but there is a suitable location to make evaluations. Here now there is a world to redesign. They will be reflections that will leave next week.”.
BUFFON “FA VERAMENTE MALE, FINO A GIUGNO CI SARO’”
“We need to take the time to make the correct evaluations. Until June I think it is correct and necessary to give the availability to the Federation and to all those who have had confidence in me – the blue delegation leader Gigi Buffon intervened at the press conference – Then for the future we will go to see how to unravel the matassa. The greatest goal was to go to the World Championship and today’s defeat really hurts us.”.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
