Italy will not be at the 2022 World Cup
Jorginho admitted penalty misses in the qualifying campaign for the Qatar 2022 World Cup will “haunt him for the rest of his life” after Italy were knocked out at the playoff stage on Thursday night.
A late goal saw North Macedonia triumph over the European champions, as Italy missed out on World Cup qualification for the second successive tournament, having fallen short to Sweden in 2018.
Italy fail to qualify for the World Cup for a second time in a row and less than 12 months after winning the Euros pic.twitter.com/u9BaJkrtP7
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) March 24, 2022
When did he miss a penalty?
The Azzuri did manage to complete their regular qualifying campaign without defeat, but drawing four matches over the course of the campaign saw them finish second, two points behind Switzerland, who took the automatic spot.
And this all could have been avoided, had Jorginho scored penalties in both fixtures against Switzerland. In Zurich, the Chelsea midfielder had a spot kick saved by Yann Sommer, while in Rome he blazed his effort over the bar.
What did Jorginho say?
Speaking after their latest catastrophe, the 30-year-old told Rai Sport: “It still hurts when I think about it. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Stepping up there twice and not being able to help your team and your country is something I will carry with me forever, and it weighs on me.
“People say we need to lift our heads and carry on, but it’s tough.”
North Macedonia will now play Portugal for a spot at the tournament in Qatar, which is set to take place across November and December later this year.
Elsewhere, Poland – who were given a bye after Russia were suspended by FIFA – will face off against Sweden for a place in the finals, and Wales are set to play the winner of Scotland vs Ukraine after another night of Gareth Bale heroics.
Form is temporary, class is permanent🔥
WHAT A STRIKE 😍 pic.twitter.com/9SMq4ZTzUL
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) March 24, 2022
Related links:
- Gareth Bale fires back at Spanish newspaper following Wales victory
- Italy knocked out of World Cup play-offs in late defeat to North Macedonia
- Gareth Bale labelled ‘Welsh parasite’ by Spanish newspaper
