Italy repechage to World Cup, one of 1982 heroes says no and blurts out

On the sidelines of the press meeting organized by DentalPro in collaboration with Torino, dedicated to the link between oral health and sport, Ciccio Graziani also exclusively addressed to the microphones of Sportal.it the delicate moment of the Italian national team, just back from yet another disappointment.

The former Azzurri striker did not hide all his bitterness for Italy’s absence from the top international competition: “It makes me feel bad to have a World Cup without Italy. We faced yet another sports catastrophe.” Harsh words, which photograph a sentiment shared by much of Italian soccer after the recent exclusions.

According to Graziani, the problem is structural and requires deep changes: “We will have to find something different. If we go on in the same way we will also lose the fourth World Cup.” A reflection that then expands to the management of Italian soccer and the increasing presence of foreigners in Serie A clubs: “We are becoming too foreign. In Udinese-Como there was only one Italian on the field, this is how we lose competitiveness.”

Graziani also expressed himself on the hypothesis of a possible repechage of Italy: “I am not in favor of repechage. If they give it to us we take it, but we don’t deserve it. There is someone who deserves more, like those who made the playoffs in Asia.”

During the meeting, the importance of oral health for professional athletes was also discussed, a topic at the center of the collaboration between DentalPro and Torino FC, with the aim of raising awareness among sportsmen and fans about the impact of dental wellness on physical performance.