Jakarta –
Failure Italy drove to 2022 World Cup make a number of players down morally. Three players are rumored to be retiring from the national team.
Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals after being eliminated in the play-offs. The Azzurri defeated by North Macedonia in the semifinals 2022 World Cup play-offs with a score of 0-1.
That means Italy is absent from two consecutive World Cups. The four-time world champions also did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup after losing to Sweden in the play-offs.
After the defeat to North Macedonia, Roberto Mancini gave permission to six players to return to their respective clubs. They are Marco Verratti, Gianluca Mancini, Domenico Berardi, Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Jorginho.
The last three names are said to be retiring from Italy national team. Corriere dello Sport reports that Insigne, Immobile and Jorginho’s decision to leave the national team’s training center is a sign that the trio are preparing to step down.
The three players received sharp criticism from fans after Italy’s defeat to North Macedonia. Jorginho even felt responsible after his two missed penalties in the 2022 World Cup qualifying group stage ended fatally.
While the performance of Insigne and Immobile is not satisfactory. Immobile is also considered not suitable for the tactics applied by Roberto Mancini.
(nds/bay)
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