Leaning against a wall near a news-stand in central Rome, Tommaso Silvestri, 65, scans the morning's front pages, their headlines swinging between 'apocalypse,' 'scandal' and 'disaster' after Italy's latest footballing collapse.
We've made a real mess of it, he says, shaking his head. We had players who couldn't even find the target.
The golden days of Italian football are well and truly gone, he adds. On Tuesday night in Zenica, four-time World Cup winners Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third consecutive time, losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina after being reduced to 10 men before halftime.
Since winning the World Cup in 2006, the Azzurri have largely disappointed in international tournaments - with the exception of their surprise victory at the Euros in 2021 against England at Wembley.
We are what our results say we are, Silvestri said. When you shoot and can't even hit the goal, you're not going to go far. When it comes to taking the game home, Italy just doesn't get there anymore.
Last night's defeat drew swift and emotional reactions across Italian politics and society. Everything has a limit, lamented Ignazio La Russa, president of the Senate.
In a post on X, he wrote: We're not going to the World Cup. We supported them, we hoped, we even railed against a couple of questionable refereeing decisions... but deep down we feared it. In fact, we knew it.
Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano lamented deeper structural failures in Italian football, highlighting issues from governance to youth development.
“Clubs are corrupt and at the mercy of criminal organisations. True laundering vaults. No investment in young players, no care for second-generation talent. It's easier to buy foreign players than to develop new athletes,” he said.
Across Italy, many feel a sense of betrayal. Giovanni Colli, 71, rolling his eyes while sipping an espresso, says, Not going to the World Cup three times in a row, how on earth did it happen? What a huge disappointment. Everyone should resign. Give the young players a chance.
Italy's World Cup heartbreak was crystallized in the tear-streaked face of coach Rino Gattuso, who struggled to hold back his emotions after the national team's defeat. We don't deserve this, it's not fair. I'm sorry I couldn't make it happen, Gattuso said before retreating to the dressing room.
Reflecting on their elimination, he added: This hurts. We gave everything we could. It's a real shock.
Sport journalist Elisabetta Esposito noted that loyalty to individual clubs was outweighing support for the national team, warning of disengagement among younger fans.
