The latest theory to support the idea of Italy’s repechage at the World Cup speaks of a super playoff between excellent teams excluded. Which the Azzurri should face almost in self-management, politically and technically.
The short circuit would be perfect, a kind of paradox that would envelop theItaly of football which is struggling to recover from the shock of the third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup. Not being fished out directly, a hypothesis valid only from a theoretical point of view but almost impracticable, but rather having to go through a new and extreme play-off to try to gain the pass that leads to the world championship.
Theorising the idea of a play-off between the excluded nobles to fill the place possibly left vacant by Iran was The Athletic. Something never seen before is very difficult to organize so close to the start of the World Cup, but it could be in the hands of FIFA which, it should be remembered, has the final say regarding the national teams participating in the World Cup.
What is it about? In the event of forced withdrawal by Iran, the last available slot would not be occupied by an Asian team (the United Arab Emirates would be entitled as they are the first non-qualified team in the area) but the winner of a play-off organized shortly before the start of the World Cup in which Italy could theoretically also participate.
It would be about giving a last chance to qualify to the national teams that were left out in the March cut and that have the best ranking. Possible? Very, very difficult. So far, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has wanted to strongly reiterate that Iran will be in the United States and that it will play its three group matches as scheduled. Negotiations are underway because the geopolitical situation makes managing the security of the Iranian national team on US territory complex.
The great paradox, however, is packaged. If the hypothesis of a play-off round to be held in June ever became concrete, Italy would go there without a federation politically legitimized to speak with FIFA and without a sports structure, with the president Gabriele Gravina, the head of the delegation Gigi Buffon and the technical commissioner Gennaro Gattuso having resigned in that order. A further paradox, there would not even be the possibility of appointing a new coach given that the choice lies with the new federal president who will only be elected on 22 June, provided an agreement is found between the components, when the World Cup has already begun.
So, we should proceed almost by self-management or by relying on the Under 21 coach Silvio Baldini, already designated to sit on the blue bench in the two friendly matches in June against Greece and Luxembourg. Obviously this is a scenario bordering on the unreal, perfect for fueling discussions between Italian fans with a pinch of healthy madness. Because going to the World Cup recovered like this, but after having survived the post-elimination tsunami, would represent an almost grotesque way of presenting oneself at the world championship. Given how it went in the qualifying phase, it’s not necessarily worse, but it would certainly be a record. World.
