One of the biggest disappointments during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers was the elimination of Italy. Gli Azzurri ended second in their Group behind Spain and had to battle for a playoff berth against Sweden. Despite having a better, more experienced squad, they lost 1-0 on aggregate score.
The loss not only means Italy’s absence from the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1958. It also means the team needs to analyze what went wrong and potentially undergo a massive rebuilding period to get back to what they were in the past. Most countries in the world have done it, and Italy is not going to be the first or the last to do so.
Germany and England already did in the past, and are reaping the benefits of it. The Netherlands are likely to undergo one as well. And there’s also the case of Spain. La Furia Roja have managed to successfully transition from their Golden Generation to a newer team. One where the names of Isco, Alvaro Morata and David De Gea will likely make them a World Cup contender for the next eight to ten years.
No one says Italy will have that kind of luck. But fortunately for them, Italy have enough talent to become a European powerhouse sooner than later. They have an immense amount of talent in their player pool. And honestly, they can quickly bounce back from the disaster that meant getting out on a playoff round. Especially one they should have won with ease.
What Are Italy’s Options Going Forward?
If we take a look at the squad for the playoff tie against Sweden, there are several interesting names. Gianluigi Buffon confirmed his retirement and Giorgio Chiellini is likely to follow his footsteps, as well as Danielle De Rossi. But the rest of the side shouldn’t see many changes going forward. This means players such as Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Verratti, Andrea Belotti, Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Parolo are likely to gain bigger roles going forward. Others such as Stephan El Shaarawy, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Daniele Rugani and Matteo Caldara must take the next step in their developments. It’s their time to grow as reliable first-teamers in the squad.
At the very least, the goalkeeper role is well taken care of. Gianluigi Donnarumma could be Italy’s starting goalkeeper for the next 10 or 15 years at the very least, while Mattia Perin is a decent choice as well.
So as we can see, Italy have enough players to take the next step in their rebuilding process. But they must commit fully to do it. It’s the only way they will leave this disaster behind to return to their winning ways everybody knows them.