In Italy there is a saying for unfortunate situations, it applies to broken china, late trains and broken hearts: Che peccato! What a pity.
This Tuesday, the Italian national team could have played in Portugal in the playoff for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It would have been a kind of bread of mercy, the decisive stopover on the long-distance trip to the emirate that had been planned. But Italy were out before that, after a 1-0 loss to tiny North Macedonia in the first elimination round after conceding a last-minute goal. All football enthusiasts can now howl loudly, including those who live north of the Alps or in other regions of the world: Che peccato!
It takes more than a few days to digest: A “Mondiale” without Italy? And in Qatar at that, which is a topic in itself anyway? That bores even the dullest supporters of the cultivated ball sport, because they now have to grumble to themselves the insults they have cultivated about pizza bakers since the 2006 World Cup. Deep down in their stomachs, that is where they are currently finding the explanations for their failures in Italy. The gazettes agree, and the Tifosi join in the swan song: it’s over. The calcio, according to the tenor, is an old rust bucket, overdue for sinking to the bottom of the sea. Which, in turn, goes well with the Italian footballers: Squadron Azzurra, a name like the sky and the sea.
Fervent singing and small swallows – nobody can do it better
That defeatism was felt in 2017, when Italy missed out on the World Cup, and was washed away by waves of euphoria when the Azzurri, against all odds, became European champions just eight months ago. Football is just an irrational sport, the feelings condense into a brief moment and thus contribute to the craziest stories. And who masters this discipline better than the Italians? Not to be forgotten: the fervent singing of the anthem, the cynical minimalism tactics and the little swallows that sometimes make a big difference.
No question, all of that will be missing at the World Cup. At least a message from Monday provides confidence: The coach Roberto Mancini will remain in office, also thanks to the full support of the association president Gabriele Gravina. Incidentally, the latter started his career in the 1990s as a manager at Castel di Sangro, an outsider team that had somehow slipped into the second division. The author Joe McGinnis was allowed to accompany the team at the time and write a wonderful book about this time.
If you believe the story, today’s association boss Gravina acted as the adjutant of a cinematic provincial potentate who wanted to rise to distant heights with the club. Gravina was fine with almost any means, sometimes even half-silk deals that made his personal ascent possible – and anyone who is now worried about Calcio may just lack the necessary imagination.
See you in four years, dear Italians. Che peccato.