For the third consecutive time, the national team risks not qualifying for the World Cup: a comparison between the current team and those that were eliminated in the playoffs in 2017 and 2022

For the third consecutive time, Italy risks not qualifying for the World Cup and will have to rely on the playoffs to get a pass. This crisis seems to be more than just generational, considering that the last younger players to have played in a World Cup with the national team were Perin, De Sciglio, and Verratti, born in 1992. All Italian players born in the decade following the World Cup have only seen it on TV: therefore, if Gattuso fails in his mission in March, a generation will have been lost. However, thinking about the past and what may happen in the future, one question arises: is this Italy stronger than the previous two?

Giampiero Ventura’s team, which was eliminated in 180 minutes by Sweden in 2017 (defeated 1-0 away and drawing 0-0 at San Siro), still had a strong block of experienced and titled players: Buffon in goal and the BBC in defense, Florenzi and De Rossi in midfield, and the rampant Jorginho in the playmaker role. For the rest, especially in attack, players unable to repeat their club performances for the Azzurri: Belotti and Immobile above all, who scored 26 and 23 goals respectively in Serie A that season but failed to score for Italy at the decisive moment.

Here is the lineup that took the field on November 13, 2017, at San Siro and was eliminated by Sweden: (3-5-2) Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Candreva (Bernardeschi from 31′ s.t.), Parolo, Jorginho, Florenzi, Darmian (El Shaarawy from 19′ s.t.); Immobile, Gabbiadini (Belotti from 19′ s.t.). (Donnarumma, Perin, Astori, Rugani, Zappacosta, De Rossi, Gagliardini, Eder, Insigne). Coach: Ventura.

Mancini’s Italy—  Even more painful was certainly the failure of 2022. This was due to the level of the opponent, the fact that the defeat came in a one-off match played at home and, above all, because Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri were the reigning European champions, after their triumph at Wembley just 256 days earlier. Compared to that team, against Macedonia, the creativity of Chiesa and Spinazzola (victims of serious injuries) was missing, as was the drive of Di Lorenzo on the right, due to a knee sprain sustained in the previous Serie A match. Locatelli was struggling with Covid, while Bonucci and Chiellini were not at their best following two calf muscle problems. In any case, 10 of the 11 starters were the same ones who had won the European Championship.
Here is the lineup that took the field on March 24, 2022, in Palermo and was eliminated by Macedonia: (4-3-3) Donnarumma; Florenzi, Mancini (89′ Chiellini), Bastoni, Emerson; Barella (77′ Barella), Jorginho, Verratti; Berardi (89′ Joao Pedro), Immobile (77′ Pellegrini), Insigne (64′ Raspadori). Coach: Mancini.

Gattuso’s Italy—  It is difficult to predict which national team will face the playoffs in March at the moment. We can rely on the foundation that Gattuso has built since his appointment, considering that after the embarrassing defeat against Norway at San Siro, the coach decided to leave out the players on yellow cards. A team lined up in a 4-2-4 formation, with Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, and Dimarco in front of Donnarumma, Tonali and Barella in the middle, and the center forward duo of Retegui and Kean supported by two wingers from among Orsolini, Politano, and Zaccagni. We are waiting to see if Federico Chiesa will feel ready to return to the Azzurri in March…