Italy’s repechage to World Cup, after mockery erupts chaos

Now they are even teasing us. Italy’s hopes of being repechaged for the World Cup, to be played from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the United States, do not seem particularly high: the Iran-related issue, beyond the phrases of circumstance, is far from resolved, but the UAE’s pole position in the event of Team Melli’s replacement does not seem in question. In Switzerland, meanwhile, there are those who are being ironic: “You have become the home of the 0-0, but where do you want to go?” one reads on a rather followed blog with reference not only to the disappointing match between Milan and Juventus but also to the challenges played yesterday between Como and Napoli and between Atalanta and Genoa. The publication of the text, which was meant to be ironic, on some social networks has unleashed chaos: more than one Italian has called into question the tragic affair of Crans-Montana, which beyond the great sadness for the young victims, is a raw nerve in the relations between the two states.

The situation related to the repechage has been further complicated in the last hours. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström issued a formal apology to Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Federation, after the latter was turned away at the Toronto airport during the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, inviting him to a meeting in Zurich scheduled for May 20. Despite this, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already stated in Vancouver that “Iran will certainly be present at the 2026 World Cup and will play its three matches as scheduled in the United States.” Words that, combined with the advantageous position of the United Arab Emirates-whose recent farewell to Opec has further strengthened the axis with Washington-make the scenario of the Azzurri’s repechage more and more a mirage.

More complicating the Italian position on the diplomatic level were also the statements of U.S. President Donald Trump, who called a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops from Italy “probable,” claiming that the country “has not been at all helpful” in the conflict with Iran. Responding was Defense Minister Guido Crosetto: “I would not understand the reasons. As is obvious to anyone, we have not used Hormuz. And we also made ourselves available for a mission to protect shipping. Which moreover was very much appreciated by the American military.” A back-and-forth that certainly did not help Italy’s image in the corridors that matter.

Turning back to the field, the deadlocked draw between Atalanta and Genoa at the Gewiss Stadium represented yet another chapter in an increasingly worrying Nerazzurri crisis: in the last four Serie A matches, La Dea has picked up just two points, the result of draws against Cagliari and Genoa, interspersed with defeats against Roma and Juventus. Raffaele Palladino had tried to shake up his team with brave choices, proposing from the first minute the offensive tandem Scamacca-Krstovic with De Ketelaere in the role of trequartista, but the experiment did not have the desired effects. The most inspired of the evening was Giacomo Raspadori, who entered in the second half and hit a glaring crossbar with a broadside shot from the edge just over 10 minutes before the 90th minute. On the opposite front, Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa could celebrate a salvation mathematically won with three rounds in advance, despite the heavy absences of Norton-Cuffy and Baldanzi.

Not less disappointing was the 0-0 draw at the Sinigaglia between Como and Napoli, where the hosts came close to taking the lead on several occasions: as early as 8′ Douvikas had a great chance on an assist from Nico Paz, with his shot cleared on the line by Rrahmani, while Diao missed a resounding double chance during the second half. The Azzurri held out and even came close to scoring in the final: in the 80th minute McTominay finished just wide, while in the 85th minute Politano hit the post. Antonio Conte explained after the game the substitution of Kevin De Bruyne after an hour of play: “In seven days nothing has changed, De Bruyne is as he was in the last game. His was a very tidy performance. At one point I simply decided to move McTominay to the three-quarter by bringing in Anguissa in the middle.” A draw that still gives Napoli the mathematical certainty of Champions League qualification, with the Parthenopean club now on 70 points, but that complicates the chase of leading Inter, already at +9 and one step away from the Scudetto.