I just watched the ESPN FC show discussing Gattuso's stupid comments and they also brought up Cesare's Maldini's comments about Jamaica 28 years ago so basically now we are sore losers, cry babies, and racists. Thanks Gattuso for opening your stupid mouth and you'll look even dumber if Norway beat us in Italy.
Why racists? Nevermimd. An American show with British hosts pushing the racism narrative? Shocked, I tell you. Jamaica had 1 Win out of 3 at France'98 and that was against fellow newbie's (at the time), Japan. They ate 9 goals. The late Cesare Maldini was correct when he said it. Italy beat Russia in the Playoff and took the eventual champions, France, to PK's. Came within a Baggio volley of winning it. Statistically finished the tournament in 5th. Losing 1 game in Europe and you are behind the 8 Ball. Losing 1/3rd of your matches in SA and you are qualified. But it definitely is a bigger grind in CONMEBOL with 18 matches. Bolivia are shit but you are gassed by the hour mark with that elevation.
I've watched that Baggio volley so many times. To this day I have no idea why that volley didn't go in. Nothing was done wrong, it was like the fate on that day just decided not to let it in
Since this is why those people are stupid. USA'94. Last WC of 24 teams and there were 13 UEFA teams. 2026: 48 teams. 16 teams from UEFA. So double the teams, adding 24 more, and only 3 from UEFA? But but but racism !!!!!
I'm in the camp that Gattuso's comments were awful, but I also agree with friend @AGomes, where anyone who wants to clown Italia and compare us to any of the nations who qualified in other continents are extremely idiotic and just looking to stick it to Italia out of pure jealousy of our past achievements.
If France played Jamaica in that QF, France would have rinsed Jamaica. At least Italy gave Les Bleus a match, even if it was boring and only picked up in the ET.
This really is on UEFA to grow a spine and stick up for the confederation and their teams. Football is a microcosm of life and Europe does a horrible job defending itself. Ceferin and his predecessors need to be better.
I totally agree with that, I'm most mad in general at UEFA and the extremely stupid Nations League. Even if Italia had Norway'd this group, I will always be willing to point out how frustratingly stupid the Nations League is.
I think if you are a fan of a minnow, it is welcome. If you are a Cypriot what fun is it to see losing 4-0 to Germany every Friendly window when you can play Azerbaijan for a chance for Promotion to League B. Now the calender could use some tweaking. Not a fan of Norway starting their Qualifiers earlier because Italy were busy with UNL but we know now it isn't the reason why Norway ran up the score on everyone.
It's an unfair advantage all that means is Italy will have to play even more games in a calendar year while Norway plays less for doing worse than Italy in nations league.
They technically didn't say it was racism, but Shaka said it reminded him what Cesare Maldini said about Jamaica and said at worst that is xenophobic and at best it's entitlement. Anyway, if I was neutral on this, I would be against what Gattuso said. Sure, the format sucks but you need to take responsibility and the fact of the matter is we got destroyed by Norway.
don't think we should worry about the results vs Norway on Sunday. The objective is to further prepare the team for the playoffs. Couldn't remember if anyone got to the bottom of the yellow card situation if they carry over into playoffs... but if they do then its more important to not play Tonali and the other who are carrying a yellow so they are certainly available for the playoff.
World ranking may play into effect so this should be a must win game for us and also to show that we are not a door mat to Norway. This game should be a revenge game in the eyes of our players. In regards to yellows, Tonali, Cambiaso, and Frattesi are one yellow away from missing the first playoff game. Gattuso already said Tonali won't play and the other two are not starters so who knows. It sucks both times we played Norway, we would be missing key starters. I would love to see both teams go at it full strength.
It's sour grapes. Not one Italian ever said a word about qualifying from the inception of the World Cup for a half century. They didn't need to because Italy had the quality such that they it was automatic that they get in and they were typically a contender to win it outright. This has only recently become a thing given the negative trajectory of Italian football in the last 20 years. There is almost no one on this present side that would have made the teams we had in the 80s to mid-2000s. They need to concentrate on why our football has become shit as opposed to qualifying rules.
It's true and Cesare Maldini was right to a point. The confederations, AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and OFC aren't as skillful as either UEFA or CONMEBOL. Still, qualifying is not easy even in Concacaf either. That is why the USA failed to make the tournament in 2018. At that point, the USMNT had made every tournament since 1990 so I don’t think can anyone say one qualifying from Concacaf has an easier path to the tournament as opposed to UEFA. Traditionally anyway, the top two teams of a given WCQ group would qualify for the tournament but that is no longer the case. Now it’s different and I can’t really tell if it is a fair format or not. You would think with an expanded tournament, Italy will have had an easier path but it isn’t to be. I’m sure FIFA and UEFA want a strong Italy side at the tournament because without them or Brazil for example, the WC just isn’t the same.
We don't stand a chance against Norway, they have way too much momentum. Be great if we could humble them but it's simply not possible. Best case scenario is a draw and even that is a major reach. Writing was on the wall after 2006.
They did well in in the 2008 and the 2012 Euro tournaments. The bottom line is we need more depth at the club level. Listening to Walter Sabatini the other day with Cassano , Adani and Ventola, Italian clubs are just too afraid of starting younger players and he was and is right.
In reality, the top 48 ranked teams in the world by a certain date should go to the WC. But that will never happen because qualifying makes a lot of money for FIFA (and various conferences), and their ranking system is flawed anyway. As for Europe, it would make the most sense to have 8 groups, and have the top two in each group advance (16)....but again UEFA has to squeeze every last drop of blood from the stone. So let's create a stupid playoff system instead and squeeze even more games out of a bunch of overworked exhausted players.
We did well in the Euros up until last year which was an embarrassing display on the world stage. Club level stranieri influx will never change regardless of how badly we perform or how many tournaments we miss out on. Stubborn Italian bureaucracies will drive the NT to the ground
Exactly and regardless of how much the FIGC and pundits complain about this "troppi stranieri" issue, club presidents and fans alike don't care all that much. I mean they complain every 4 years when they don't make the WC tournament but nothing ever changes and they go right back to doing the same thing they always did.
Am I crazy to think we should go all out? Why not just go full Zeman? We might as well try. 9-0 is improbable but not impossible I think the group would enjoy playing to score against Norway rather than trying to squeeze out a normal win I think a lot about the mental side, it has such a huge impact on national teams. It’s my opinion the group could have more fun trying to score rather than being tactically perfect against Norway. we need more joy in the camp
I’m just saying, the situation calls for us to score. Ok then. Let’s play the situation. Have fun with it. I think Gattuso and the players will surprise themselves if they did. the goal is too improbable to reach, but I think they would benefit from playing the situation