Leonardo Bonucci says Italy players took the praise for UEFA EURO 2020 and must therefore shoulder the blame for the World Cup flop, but it’s now time to climb back up. ‘We’ve already done it once.’
The Azzurri failed to qualify for both the 2018 and the 2022 World Cup finals, losing play-offs to Sweden and North Macedonia.
This latest setback was particularly galling, as it game less than a year after Italy were crowned Champions of Europe.
Juventus centre-back Bonucci was out injured for the 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday evening.
“The two emotions are polar opposites,” wrote Bonucci on Instagram.
“The great euphoria and joy of this summer countered by the disappointment and bitterness of this exclusion, made even worse by the face I was unable to help my teammates for those 90 minutes.
“Now it is the moment to look forward. This summer we took the praise and the credit for doing something unique, today we must take responsibility for not earning our place, which was more down to our own mistakes than the efforts of others.
“It is time for analysis, concrete and deep focus, to start again, to give Italy and the Italians what they deserve. We’ve already done it once.
“The climb back up has already begun, for me, for us. It will be a hard slog to get back to the top, but we have already proved we know how to do it. The future is now.”
While Giorgio Chiellini may well retire at the end of the season, Bonucci is set to remain a mainstay of both Juventus and the Italy squad going forward.
The Nazionale will play a friendly against Turkey, who lost their World Cup play-off 3-1 to Portugal, on Tuesday evening, but it is unlikely Bonucci will be risked after muscular issues.
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“made even worse by the face I was unable to help my teammates for those 90 minutes.”
Basically trying to say, I didn’t play the match, so I am not to blame
37 in the euro
39 next World Cup
We should be looking at others now.
I’d be inclined to throw Giorgio Scalvini in now at least as a third or fourth choice centre back for now with an eventual pairing with Bastoni.
Others to consider Romagnoli Luis Felipe Mancini…
Let’s not get it confused here everyone will be 2 years and 3 months older next euro and 4 years a 3 months until next World Cup.
We won the last Euro obviously, so we should be building a team to win 2026, therefore what can anyone 30 add.
Only verratti 29 and spinazzola 29 will be good, the rest no thanks.
lol they will climb back to play in the next Euros but then fail to qualify for the 2026 WC.
Eat more pasta!
@Dio I get your point and you’re right but I’d add that within the qualifying years, older players can convey learning to the emerging talents so that there’s a smoother transition. That’s how you build cycles. Bonucci can still contribute his drive and ambition which was clear in the Euros. Then he can step aside for the youngsters.
@Milan Fan… Gloat all you want. This is a disappointing time for Italy but make no mistake, Italy has 4 World Cups and 2 Euros. Others have a lot of catching up to do and pasta to eat (aside from the usual sour grapes).
I guarantee you that Milan fan is neither Italian or of Italian descent, hence his comment. I am so tired of petulant Milan fans like this and the Donnarumma saga. Get over it! Players leave. Now go back to supporting whatever non-Italian country you come from.
Nor are you James with that very Italian name lol. You are an England fan and too ashamed to support your own country and bandwagon off another country. Very sad, fake and pathetic.
The non-selection of Calabria by Manicini was a bad error. Calabria should have been the clear 1st choice at right back, he could have provided more creativity going forward as a deeper threat. The type of deep lying threat that Italy lack since losing Spinazolla. Lazari would be better 2nd option at right back. Florenzi and Di lorenzo are inferior to to Calabri and Lazari. Di Marco and Biraghi are better options at left back compared to the limited Emerson. Mancini made errors in selection on both full backs choosing on loyalty rather than merit. Mancini also lacked tactical imagination and had no plan B formation to the 4-3-3. The 4-3-3 has been worked out by opposition team and clearly was not working in the few games after Euro 2020. He lacked the courage and flexibility to find a different formation to trial with for example 3-5-2 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 against teams that defend deep. Perhaps the congested fixture schedule did not allow him to make a plan B and trial different formations. Mancini deserves to continue despite the selection errors and his reluctance to evolve from past winning formula that clearly stopped working or did not work as well following the absence of Spinazolla . He needs to however learn from his mistakes and be more tactically flexible, innovative and evolve when the paradigm shifts. He also needs to be sharper in selection and promote better players like Calabria in to the team rather than relying on loyalty and sticking to average players like Di Lorenzo, Emerson, Florenzi just because they did a job in the past. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to do this to keep Italy relevant in the world stage but he deserves a chance after the Euro 2020 success.
Since they dominated the last 5 matches but simply didn’t score purely down to the offense and Jorginho to blame. 2 missed penalties and non lethal performances from Immobile, Insigne and Berardi asks for changes. Chiesa must be the new focal point partnering Scamacca and Zaniolo.
Spot on Many Wise Guys
Bonucci, PLEASE.
Only right to retire from International Duty with Chiellini.
Have to re-start with youth.