Italy’s repechage to the World Cup: possible mockery for 'Italy, favorites not seen since 'Ciao'

There is another national team looking with interest at the possibility of repechage: the United Arab Emirates. According to Article 6.7 of the regulations, FIFA can in fact choose possible substitutes in full autonomy. In this context, Italy’s position in the ranking, where it is 12th, could favor the Azzurri. However, if Iran were to be excluded, it is more likely that the spot would be awarded to an Asian selection. Iraq, for its part, has already detached the pass thanks to the success in the playoff against Bolivia, and precisely for this reason a possible repechage could reward the UAE, eliminated by the Iraqis on their way to the World Cup.

For the UAE it would be a historic return: their only participation in a final stage dates back, ironically, to Italia ’90. It was a complicated experience, marked by a prohibitive group with West Germany, Yugoslavia and Colombia. In the opener, in Bologna against the South Americans, the Arabs held out until early in the second half, before succumbing to goals from Rincón and Valderrama.

The second challenge, in San Siro against West Germany, did not go any better. On the eve of the match, Lothar Matthäus mocked the ultra-defensive attitude of the opponents, assuming a 10-0-0. On the pitch it ends 5-1 for the Germans, with Khalid Ismail Mubarak scoring the flagship goal.

In the last match against Yugoslavia, a team rich in talent but never really winning, the Emirates try to change their approach, tired of Parreira’s cautious tactics. The choice, however, does not pay off: after nine minutes they are already down by two goals and the match ends 4-1, the Emirati bomber being Al-Talyani. At the end of the tournament, as was already in the air, also comes the Brazilian coach’s exoneration.