Soccer
'Life and death'. Why Italy's World Cup shootout is the nation's biggest game for a generation
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When you think about Italy and the World Cup, your mind instantly gravitates towards the iconic images of Marco Tardelli, Roberto Baggio and Fabio Cannavaro.
Moments that live long in the memory, of a nation that have been world champions on four separate occasions in their history.
However, the Italian's recent World Cup history has been nothing less than atrocious. Since crashing out of the group stages in 2014, the Azzurri have failed to qualify for another World Cup, despite winning the Euros in 2021.
Now they find themselves in another straight shootout for qualification, having had to navigate their way through the play-offs once again. So can Gennaro Gattuso's men banish the demons of the past decade, or will it be another night to forget for the boys in blue?
Play-off nightmares
Italy head to Bosnia and Herzegovina, knowing they've been here before.
They may have gotten past Northern Ireland last week in the play-off semi-final, but now the pressure really ramps up as they face a one-off 'final' to return to football's biggest stage.
It's a pressure that has come from two previous disastrous attempts at reaching the finals through the same route in 2018 and 2022.
Eight years ago, after missing out on top spot in the groups to Spain, Italy met Sweden in the play-offs, where they failed to score over two legs and went out 1-0 on aggregate, and the blame lay at the door of boss Gian Piero Ventura.
However, things only got worse ahead of Qatar in 2022. After failing to finish above Switzerland to automatically qualify, the Italians then didn't even get past the semi-final stage as they lost 1-0 to North Macedonia, despite having 32 shots on goal against the 66th-ranked team in the world.
Now, here they are at the same stage once again, dreading the unthinkable and missing a third World Cup in a row. But, just how much of a blow would it be to Italian football?
@Azzurri
A generation lost
"It's a matter of life or death." Former international Massimo Ambrosini exclusively tells DAZN News thanks to Betinia.
The midfielder won 35 caps for his country and is a close friend of coach Gattuso, having played together at Milan, and he can't underestimate what it means for his country to be back at the World Cup this summer.
"So here in Italy, we talk that our sons, all the sons of all the guys from 16 years old to 20 years old, have never seen an Italian team play in a World Cup. So the pressure is very, very high.
"My son is 16. And he can't remember that the last game Italy played in the World Cup was in 2014. It's mad.
"In Italy, we try to stay all together. Okay, but it's not easy. It's not easy in this moment.
"So fingers crossed, pray and see what happens."
Ambrosini isn't wrong when he talks about generations, striker Pio Esposito was born in 2005, so the last time he saw Italy at a World Cup he would have been nine-years-old, and now the Inter man is part of a squad that's trying to stop the rot and make sure a generation doesn't continue to be starved of the game's biggest stage.
But can Italy get over the line in what could be a tricky night in Zenica?
(C)Getty images
Redemption time
After the dismal performances of the Serie A sides in the Champions League this season, which included champions Napoli failing to make it out of the league phase and Inter being dumped out by Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt, the last thing the country needs is another international disappointment.
Right now, it's not a good look for Italy, and they need a win on Tuesday to get normal service resumed and Italy part of the proceedings in North America. After all, a 48 World Cup without them feels wrong, right?
However, Ambroinsi believes that not being there has become too normal for his nation.
Adding, "We are totally focused to go to the World Cup. The first thing is to go. This should be normal for Italy.
"This, of course, should be normal. But right now, for us, it's not normal anymore.
"The problem is we don't have the talent we had before. We don't have the talent that France, Spain, England have. But we must focus on just being there."
The time for debating what Italy could or could not do in the States is still to be debated, because first, they need to do what no side has done for over a decade.
Win one last football game. Qualifying for the World Cup. And finally get redemption for the generation still pining to see Italy back where they belong.
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