Italy’s repechage to World Cup, Azzurri commentator comes out of the closet

Alberto Rimedio, RAI’s commentator regarding Italian national soccer team matches, answered the question that many are asking during a speech at the ‘Festival della Comunicazione’ at the Sapienza University of Rome: will the Azzurri be repechaged for the North American World Cup?”

“Iran at the moment is considered the main hypothesis, but there would be alternatives represented not by Italy, not by the play-offs, but in the first instance by replacing an Asian with another Asian. And that is specifically with the United Arab Emirates, which is the first of the unqualified Asians because they lost the playoff to Iraq. This is the reality,” stressed the 53-year-old Roman journalist.

The situation related to Iran appears increasingly intricate. Tehran has made a new request to FIFA, demanding strict security measures in the United States to protect its national team and the entire delegation throughout their stay on American soil. According to the Iranian news agency Wana, Iran’s participation in the tournament will depend on the guarantees Donald Trump will be able to provide for its athletes, both inside the stadiums and outside. A decision that the government in Tehran will have to make by early May to avoid a hefty fine from FIFA.

It should be recalled that the World Federation had already closed the door on Iran’s previous request: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had made it known that moving the group matches in the United States to Mexico had been ruled out outright. Iran is placed in Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, and according to the schedule would have to play two matches in Los Angeles, on June 15 and June 21, and one in Seattle on June 26.

Among the hypotheses circulating in circles closest to the governance of world soccer, there is also talk of a possible pre-World Cup mini-tournament with a single ticket to the World Cup as the prize. The format would involve two semifinals and a final at a neutral venue, with the participation of Italy and another European, the United Arab Emirates for Asia, Nigeria for Africa and Bolivia for South America. It is precisely this last hypothesis that has already sparked an outcry from the La Paz federation, left out after elimination at the hands of Iraq, which is reportedly ready for an official protest at FIFA.