One of the most glittering football nations historically, the Azzurri could not fend off Bosnia and Herzogovina in a play-off final, despite taking the lead through Moises Kean.
A red card for Alessandro Bastoni gave the hosts hope and Haris Tankovic’s equaliser pushed the tie into extra-time and subsequently penalties.
Bosnia were perfect from the spot, but Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed to ensure Gennaro Gattuso’s side will sit at home this summer despite the tournament expanding to 48 teams.
Bosnia and Herzegovina players and staff celebrate qualifying for the World Cup. Photo: Reuters/Amel Emric
Here is how the Italian newspapers reacted to another dark night for Italian football:
“Via Tutti,” everyone out, is the headline on the front of Tuttosport, with columnist Guido Vaciago declaring sweeping changes, underlining there must be “consequences at every level.”
He continues that a “reset” is never the solution, but “it can be medicine” for a proud footballing nation that has exited at the group stages twice before three failures to qualify following their famous 2006 victory in Berlin.
Gazzetta dello Sport adds “Tutti a Casa,” everyone at home, the same headline for the third national sport daily, Corriere dello Sport.
The future looks bleak for manager Gattuso, but the former Milan and Italy midfielder claimed it was not the time to discuss whether he would continue in charge.
“I just finished speaking to the team. I can only thank them, as it had been years since I’d seen the Nazionale play with such heart,” Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia.
“It hurts, it really hurts, but we must accept it. I don’t want to talk about referees or anything else, we could’ve scored a second goal and didn’t, we suffered with all those crosses, we gave everything.
“I am proud of them, it hurts to accept this verdict. It will take time. On a personal level, it’s a heavy blow.”
More reaction has Corriere della Sera adding how Bosnia “humiliated us,” Gabriele Romagnoli from La Repubblica adds: “20 years of solitude lived in the absence of a plan.” Maurizio Crosetti is equally scathing in the same newspaper, adding that Italy’s “habit of mediocrity is our evil.”
Another column adds how Italy displayed “the face of disaster” and went “from joy to hell” in Bosnia.
La Stampa’s homepage reads “disaster”, with Kean’s head in his hands after coming to terms with Italy’s painful reality, columnist Maurizio De Giovanni concludes that the match showed “a mirror of the worst country.”