The footballing world has reacted with shock to the fact Italy won’t be at next summer’s World Cup in Russia.
The Azzurri have qualified for every tournament bar 1958, aside from the very first edition of the tournament, which they did not enter.
As such there has been widespread shock in the football world, as a World Cup will take place without Italy for the first time in 60 years.
Germany
Bild’s front page carries an image of Buffon praying to the heavens with the headline “a World Cup without Italy”.
The footballing world has reacted with shock to the fact Italy won’t be at next summer’s World Cup in Russia.
The Azzurri have qualified for every tournament bar 1958, aside from the very first edition of the tournament, which they did not enter.
As such there has been widespread shock in the football world, as a World Cup will take place without Italy for the first time in 60 years.
Germany
Bild’s front page carries an image of Buffon praying to the heavens with the headline “a World Cup without Italy”.
Kicker leads with “Tears of a legend, Buffon’s emotional farewell”.
“Everything was so beautifully drawn,” says the sports daily. “Goalkeeper-legend Buffon wanted to take to that big footballing stage one last time in the summer of 2018 and say goodbye. But everything turned out differently”.
Kicker stated that Buffon’s sportsman ship set him apart “and so it was too in the 0-0 draw with Sweden which eliminated Italy from the World Cup and ended his career. Buffon clapped before the game, as the Tifosi whistled loudly at the Swedish anthem, and in doing so demanded respect, and afterward he congratulated the Swedish players.”
France
In France, L’Équipe described the Azzurri’s exit as “a historic fiasco”.
“The news is hardly credible, the quadruple world champions, Italy, will not be at the World Cup next summer,” the sports newspaper declares.
“The causes of this cataclysm are numerous, and the head of Coach Giampiero Ventura – who is one of them – should roll in the next few hours.”
L’Équipe also paid tribute to “the immense Gianluigi Buffon, who dreamed of finishing his monumental career by in a World Cup, but instead ends with a pitiful exit, after 175 caps. Unjust, unworthy, but ultimately predictable.”
Le Parisien noted how at the final whistle “San Siro rumbled with anger. A World Cup without Italy, it hadn’t happened since 1958”.
Buffon was also the focus of attention for France Football who said “with his fair play, his class and his talent, not seeing Gianluigi Buffon at the 2018 World Cup with Italy is inevitably something unimaginable. It will have to be done though.”
United Kingdom
The Guardian described Italy’s exit as “the end of the world”, referencing FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio’s insistence that a failure to qualify would be “an apocalypse”.
“Giampiero Ventura’s tenure as coach is surely over,” wrote Simon Burnton having noted “the Azzurri joining Holland as Europe’s most notable qualifying failures”.
The Daily Telegraph lead its sports page with “Heartbreak for Italians”, noting inside that “Italy will be absent from the World Cup finals for the first time in 60 years after a long night of frustration ended in an ocean of tears in Milan.”
It’s match report said “the Italian players looked inconsolable, none more so than veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who will retire this summer without the crowning moment of a World Cup swansong.”
Scotland’s Daily Record went for “Apocalypse Ciao!”, noting that Celtic defender Mikael Lustig appeared to swear at Italian fans for booing the Swedish national anthem.
Spain
“Incredible, a World Cup without Italy!” read Marca’s front page this morning.
The newspaper called the result “the apocalypse that Tavecchio predicted but didn’t want to see”, pointing out that Italy are the only world champions who won’t be in Russia and calling it “a historic failure”.
AS went with “Drama: Italy out of the World Cup”, describing “a historic humiliation” and pointing out that “Tavecchio’s apocalypse has become a reality”.
The newspaper also criticised Ventura for being “unable to give a tactical identity to his team”.
Gianluigi Buffon’s face “dampened by tears” was described as “the image of a whole country”.