Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after losing a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
After a 1-1 draw in regular time, a goalless 30-minute spell of extra time passed, resulting in the stress of a penalty shootout.
Italy were leading the match early on before Alessandro Bastoni was sent off on 41 minutes, swinging the pendulum Bosnia’s way, who managed to level the game on 77 minutes.
That momentum kept with the Bosnians in the shootout. Each of their four penalties was tucked away, while only Sandro Tonali found the net for Italy.
It wasn’t just the fact that the Newcastle United midfielder was the only one to score from 12 yards; he was the only other player, along with Gianluigi Donnarumma, who seemed to come out of the match with any credibility.
The media in Italy were not kind after seeing their side fail to qualify for a major tournament and demanded that the whole squad be scrapped except for Tonali and Donnarumma.
Calciomercato said, “This national team can’t do without their number 8. He’s simply everywhere: pressing all over the pitch, he creates the only opportunities that trouble Bosnia’s defence. He’s the only one who manages to convert his own penalty in the lottery that eliminates us.”
While Corriere della Sera took a slightly more dramatic approach, saying: “The Bosnians’ cage was locked: as soon as the ball reached him [Tonali], three opponents dressed as maximum-security guards jumped on him,” it reported. “He struggled to free himself from his chains. But he was the last to give up. Let’s start again with him. Him and Gigio [Gianluigi Donnarumma].”
Not that we needed any further proof that Newcastle has a top-quality star on their hands (for now), it’s a big boost to see that an entire national team can come in for pelters and our midfielder can come out smelling of roses.
While Tonali’s not going to the World Cup will keep him out of the public eye over the summer, these reports are all we need to know that just because he won’t be starring at the World Cup, he won’t be forgotten about.
Manchester United aren’t simply going to forget about him, as much as we wish they would.