02/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 2, 2026

SCAN ME

Oh no, not again! Italy miss out on World Cup for third straight time after shootout loss to Bosnia Italy’s Alessandro Bastoni (sitting) receives a red card from referee Clement Turpin during the World Cup European qualification final against Bosnia at the Bilino-Polje stadium yesterday. – AFPPIC

I TALY’S agonising World Cup exile continues after they fell to a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their playoff final yesterday following a 1-1 draw. Four-time champions Italy had lost out at the playoff stage to miss the last two World Cups, and their last qualifi cation in 2014 coincided with Bosnia’s only previous appearance. Since lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy have won one game at the finals. Bosnia will play in Group B at the World Cup, joining co-hosts Canada, Qatar and Switzerland, while Italy will be left with some serious soul-search ing to do after yet another failure. Bosnia had suffered plenty of play off heartbreak themselves, missing out on the 2010 World Cup and the last four European Championships, but they came from behind yesterday and their keeper did not need to make a save when the shootout came around. “These boys have a character and we knew they will make us proud,” Bosnia manager Sergej Barbarez told reporters. “These young players have this feeling, they don’t think at all, they go to the pitch with brutal calmness.” Italy got off to the perfect start, with Moise Kean putting them ahead in the 15th minute, but had Alessandro Bastoni sent off three minutes before the break to raise the hopes of the home side.

really a great disappointment for eve ryone.” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso was emotional and apologetic after yester day’s defeat and refused to talk about his future. “Today the boys didn’t deserve a beating like this,” a teary-eyed Gattuso told RAI . “We were left with 10 play ers, we had three decent chances and they barely troubled us. I’m sorry, this is football and I’m proud of my boys. “It hurts, because we needed it for us, for all of Italy and for our movement. A blow that’s difficult to digest.” Gattuso and Italy were incensed when a foul by Tarik

sive finals. “Italian children will see another World Cup without Italy,” tearful winger Leonardo Spinazzola told RAI . “I still can’t believe that we went out like this, after playing with 10 men. With grit, we took it to penalties, we could have scored three or four goals a n d i t ’s

Bosnia levelled 11 minutes from time through Haris Tabakovic and both Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their penalties while the hosts made no mistake from the spot to repeat their semifinal shootout win over Wales. Kerim Alajbegovic came off the bench to net the winning penalty against Wales, and the 18-year-old again showed nerves of steel, con verting one of Bosnia’s spot-kicks against Italy. “I am so proud that we fought fiercely till the end,” he said. “I knew that I’d score the penalty regardless of who the goalkeeper is. Thanks

ing. It’s hard to digest, they surprised me too for the heart they put into it. “We’re talking for the umpteenth time that we don’t go to the World Cup. I apologise if I didn’t make it, but the boys impressed me today.” When asked about his future, Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti early in the qualification cam paign after defeat to Norway, said: “Today talking about my future is not important, it was important to go to the World Cup,” he replied. “We hold onto this performance, but it hurts and I’m sorry.” “It’s really painful. I would have given anything today, I would have given up years of my life, money, for us to achieve our goal,” added Gattuso. The head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina told reporters that he had asked Gattuso to stay on. “The mood is quite evident, espe cially for how this result has matured,” he said. “Allow me to congratulate the boys, in recent months they have had incredible growth, many of you have not been able to appreciate the climate and atmosphere in recent months. “I want to congratulate Rino Gattuso. He is a great coach, I asked him to stay at the helm with these boys. There is little to comment, the coach called them heroic. Then, I understand there are several evalua tions to be made.” Reuters/AFP

everybody for being at the sta dium, the atmosphere was brutal, we are going now to celebrate.” World Cup qualifi cation was once a mere formality for Italy – their only

Muharemovic on the edge of the area brought just a yellow card early in extra time, but the manager did not want to talk about refereeing deci sions. “I don’t want to talk about anything, but today it’s unfair,” he said. “I have been in the world of football for years, sometimes I have rejoiced and today I take a beat

p r e v i o u s a b s e n c e before this barren spell came in 1958 – but they are now the only tournament winners to miss out on three succes

Kerim Alajbegovic (left) celebrates after converting one of Bosnia’s spot-kicks against Italy during yesterday’s World Cup playoff final. – REUTERSPIC

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