Italy CT Roberto Mancini said he’s ‘sure’ the Azzurri will qualify for Qatar 2022 and revealed Jorginho is ‘sorry’ after the penalty miss. ‘But that’s football, maybe we’ll be lucky in the last match’.
The Azzurri drew 1-1 with Switzerland at the Olimpico on Friday, when former Udinese full-back Silvan Widmer scored the opening goal for the guests.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo equalised before half-time, while Jorginho missed a penalty in stoppages for Italy, who now need a win against Northern Ireland.
“He’s sorry, it’s clear,” Mancini said at a press conference after the match. “But that’s football, he’s sorry he missed the penalty. Maybe we’ll be lucky in the last match. The penalty was correct.”
The match against Northern Ireland will be decisive, as the Azzurri are only first on goal difference after another draw with the Swiss.
“It’s complicated but we are two goals ahead,” Mancini said. “We have to go there, try to play our game and win and hope that Bulgaria will have a great game.
“We have to play our game and win, this is our task. Right now, we must recover our energy, it was a very tough game. We need to be confident, even when things don’t seem to go well, they can change.
“The team always try to do their best, in some moments of the season the players struggle more and the many injuries are a demonstration of this.
Di Lorenzo: ‘I’m pleased with the goal; Jorginho? We’ll help him’
“Two goals are two goals; they seem like nothing but they are two goals… and then who says that Bulgaria cannot get a positive result? We are slightly ahead, now we are thinking about winning in Northern Ireland.”
Mancini admitted the squad are disappointed but stressed he’s sure the Azzurri will qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
“They are sorry, it’s normal,” he said. “And then a penalty like that in the 90th minute, it’s clear that they are sorry but nothing can be done now.
“We will get to the World Cup, I’m sure.”