Italy boss Roberto Mancini rejected suggestions failure to qualify for the World Cup was down to him being too loyal to the players who won Euro 2020.
The Azzurri, having failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, caused a surprise by winning the European Championship in stunning fashion.
However, since the quarter-final victory over Belgium, have won just two competitive matches and that has seen them miss out on a second consecutive World Cup.
Asked whether he had been to loyal to the players who helped him win the Euros, he told a press conference: “I don’t think that’s the case.
“If we look at quality, we should have gone straight to the World Cup with the group we have created. Unfortunately, certain situations cost us as shown in the game against [North] Macedonia, where there were many bad moments and then they scored from 50 metres in the 92nd minute.
“We have a young squad. No loyalty problem.”
Italy won both the semi-final, against Spain, and final, against England, at Euro 2020 on penalties and their quest to top their World Cup qualifying group was hampered by draws home and away against Switzerland as well as with Bulgaria.
In the meantime, they also lost against Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-final but beat Belgium in a play off to finish third.
The Azzurri face Copa America-winners Argentina in the Finalissima on June 1 and open their 2022-23 Nations League campaign with the visit of Germany on June 4.
LIVE TMW – Italia, Mancini: "Non è vero che non andiamo al Mondiale per eccesso di riconoscenza" https://t.co/9GHvnC5qCf
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) May 27, 2022
Delusional if he can’t see it smh
For the past 5 games it’s been an issue. Not just against Macedonia. Immobile, Berardi, Insigne, Jorginho and Florenzi do not deserve to wear the italy jersey ever again.
I still can’t believe we didn’t make the World Cup. All because of that loser Jorginho missing two penalties against the Swiss. Unforgivable. Tonali, Pellegrini, Barella, Veratti, Castrovilli, Sensi and Frattesi are all 10x better than Jorginho.
Delusional. The selections he made cost us. No Zaniolo on the bench even for Macedonia, both he and Pellegrini should have both started upfront, instead of insigne and Berardi, it was a shambles.
Without Spinazzola, and Chiesa Italy would’ve come unstuck in the Euro’s, Donnarumma was great, Verratti sure is a star midfielder, but we have plenty of midfielders to slot in.
You need an x factor upfront, when you take out Chiesa and the x factor was gone.
Zaniolo has that X factor, I said it all a long and he proved it in the Final Wednesday – some players just have it, put them in a big game and they deliver, fortunately Italy have two of them up front, unfortunately the only one of two were available for the playoffs – Zaniolo, and Mancini didn’t use him. Zaniolo should have slotted in to soften Chiesa’s absence, the trio of Insigne Immobile and Berardi is simply not good enough and throughout the entire euros if that remained the starting trio, Italy wouldn’t have lifted the trophy.
Insigne, Immobile and even Berardi (whilst better than both) aren’t mean enough – they don’t have that arrogance Vieri, Totti, Del Perio, Balotelli, and now Chiesa and Zaniolo have.
So for Mancini to be in denial, shows a big problem. Let’s face it immobile would be starting these next few matches despite numerous failures for italy, he is afforded chance after chance which is bizarre because he may be one of the worst starting forwards Italy has had in history.
The squad is self explanatory… moving forwards it should look like this (some inclusions subject to players picking Italy rather than their home nation *).
Donnarumma x 2
Bastoni, Scalvini, Bremer* Ibanez*
Spinazzola, Udogie, Calabria, Zanoli
Veratti, Barella, Tonali, Pellegrini, Locatelli, Frattesi
Chiesa, Zaniolo, Salcedo, Raspadori/Kean
Scamacca, S. Esposito, Pellegri/Balotelli
This team has bite, and talent all round. Everyone is of a good age, only Spinazzola and Verratti from this squad will be 33 next world cup. Balotelli or not is only a wildcard option, doesn’t matter how old he is, his talent is undeniable, that’s not to say he should be picked but if he was as an option upfront I wouldn’t be disappointed.
Anyone not named in that squad unless they are under 24/25 can’t add anything. Need to remember that Italy is targeting a tournament 4 years away not tomorrow, unless a player is a generational talent (Spinazzola, Verratti for example) they shouldn’t be in the equation.
How can he not see it. He is still picking Belotti over the likes of Balotelli. Udogie should be in this squad and so should a host of young guys.
Keep calling Emerson, Immobile, and Insigne is a big mistake for him. Italy needs young and ambitious players. Udogie, Daniele Ghilardi, Wilfred Gnonto, Scalvini, Miretti, Esposito, Cambiaso, and Viti should have time to play in the upcoming Nation League.
Well unless he changes quickly we will be effd
You have to remember that Mancini knows best because he was a footballer and when you are or were a footballer you believe that those who did not play football do not posses the same profound knowledge. Mancini is never going to admit he was too loyal.
A poster in here said it correctly, Jorge was waving for the referee instead of chasing after the Mac who broke out to shoot on goal—also many ppl have missed something. yes Mancio is too nice and players took advantage but Carlito in an article bragged about taunting Donna in the CL game between PSG-RM and that along with Milan fans taunting him, and not enough game time caused rattled nerves . A Euro in form Donna would have stopped that. I actually yeah blame Mancio for being too nice and players taking advantage of him but I feel that Carlito is to blame and lives in Vancouver and even hooked up with a anglo Canadian I believe-I work in CS and Vancouver are the worst CX’s who will fight over a pen with you for an hour hr take your name and employee number even so Carlito knew what he was doing. He ever geos near the NT I will boycott him.
Mancini is delusional!
so technically Jorginho is really undoubtedly the main reason Italy has incredibly failed again.
2 missed pks very late in Swiss games, and stopped playing to raise his hands as Macedonia player shoots and scores from distance in injury time.
smh.
why is he still being called up ?
Its only and only because of loyality……why did Mancini persist with jorginho on penalties…there are so many good penalty takers in Italian squad…what is immobile doing for italy ..just running aimlessly….its actualy only 10 players italy plays with…..immobile is just a watchdog…he does absolutely absolutely nothing nothing nothing …….no one needs to be a rocket scientist or football pundit to understand this…….manicini…you have do e a mistake what Lippi did what jochium low did,and what vincente delbosque did……selecting and relying on same players
Its only and only because of loyality……why did Mancini persist with jorginho on penalties…there are so many good penalty takers in Italian squad…what is immobile doing for italy ..just running aimlessly….its actualy only 10 players italy plays with…..immobile is just a watchdog…he does absolutely absolutely nothing nothing nothing …….no one needs to be a rocket scientist or football pundit to understand this…….manicini…you have done a mistake what Lippi did what jochium low did,and what vincente delbosque did……selecting and relying on same players
Jarod,
Yes, it was me. I tell my youth players all the time to play to the whistle !
VAR was in place that night. IF the ball was handled by the North Macedonia player then it would have been surely waved off.
Jorginho got caught up in wanting the Referee to blow play dead. Why? Of course Donnarumma needed to stop that. Horrible goal to give up.
Some even say he probably should jave stopped the Swiss goal in Rome but I’m not too sure about that.
Besides Jorginho, co-blame goes to Berardi.
– WEAK shot to an empty net versus North Macedonia.
– Memory is failing me now but didn’t he miss a 1v1 from the Halfway line when Loca sent him in? Berardi could have pitched a tent fixed himself a drink, and taken a nap with all the time he had.
Boys, we did it to ourselves. At this level 1 or 2 mistakes get punished. In those last 5 Qualifiers we made mistake after mistake after mistake.
Idiot players who took things too lightly. Both players and us as a fanbase took things too lightly. Needed to keep the studs on the throat until the very end.
To Clarify
The missed 1v1 from the halfway line waa the match in Basel in Sept 2021.
Mancini is DELUSIONAL and his arrogance and inability to adjust during a game to the oppositions strategy ie Spain who outplayed Italy, show he’s not a very good coach or tactician. Italy and the Italian players were a disgrace in qualifying following the European Championships and couldn’t even beat a series of mediocre teams including N. Macedonia who was ranked 70th plus in the world yet all we heard from Mancini and the players were a myriad of lame excuses. You would have thought Italy was playing France or Brazil the peeing in their pants instead of N. Macedonia !
Despite lack of support from other posters I still maintain Mancini should have done the honorable thing and resigned like his predecessors did in the past when they didn’t deliver.
Well, his starting line up for Finalissima tonight, its against what he stated
he still used > Di Lorenzo, Belotti, Jorginho, Emerson, etc.
No Pellegrini, Calabria..
He will failed again tonight