"You said not to show them": case in Rai after Azzurri’s exultation. Bosnia fury

Case in Rai on the tail end of the Azzurri’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland. Gennaro Gattuso’s team will face Bosnia-Herzegovina, which in the other match bent Wales on penalties after extra time, in the final playoff.

The extension of the match in Cardiff allowed the Italian players to watch the final match between the Britons and the Bosnians, complete with a final jubilation by the Azzurri, who evidently considered the match in Bosnia less complicated than one in Wales.

Italian players were immortalized by Rai as they exulted: among them were Pio Esposito and Federico Dimarco. The video went viral on social media, infuriating many Bosnian fans, who are ready for revenge next Tuesday. “Look at the disrespect and arrogance from Italy. They were celebrating after we won on penalties. We will take this into account in Zenica!” tweeted one of the most popular accounts in Bosnian soccer.

The fear of having inflamed tempers is there: soon after the images were aired, even Rai commentator Daniele Adani pointed this out. “You said not to show them, and then you frame them when they exult … You have to exult on Tuesday!”

On social media the video quickly went viral, and many Azzurri fans also dissociated. Gattuso in a press conference presented the match against Bosnia this way: “They are an experienced team, they have experienced players and we will find a hot stadium there. It’s going to be another very difficult game, as tonight’s was with Northern Ireland. We have taken a small step, now we have to climb Everest. We play so much for it, the tingling we had it all. We have seen the ghosts, but now we need one more game to complete the task. The World Cup is a goal that both I and 60 million other people dream of, and we want to achieve it.”