Luciano Spalletti Out as Italy Coach After Norway Debacle
Italy's National Coach Loses Position Due to Norway's Disappointing Result
hanging out on social media? Here's the skinny on Italy's football woes!
Italy's national coach, Luciano Spalletti, has been shown the door following a humiliating 0:3 defeat against Norway in the World Cup qualifiers. The 66-year-old coach announced his decision to step down after the next game against Moldova on Monday. The association gave him the ol' heave-ho, officially relieving him of his duties as national coach. If things don't change, Italy might miss yet another World Cup appearance after dropping out of the last two tournaments.
"I ain't got the juice anymore," Spalletti admitted at a press conference. Despite having a good rapport with federation president Gabriele Gravina, he chose to take the fall for the lackluster results. "But I ain't one to whine and complain," he added, acknowledging the support the federation has given him over the years.
Speculation already swirls about potential replacements, with AS Roma coach, Claudio Ranieri, and former AC Milan master coach, Stefano Pioli, rumored to be among the candidates. Ranieri had initially planned to retire after the just-ended season, but opportunities like this don't come knocking every day!
Rough Road to the World Cup
Newspaper, "La Gazzetta dello Sport," called Italy's performance a "humbling embarrassment" after the 0:3 against Norway. "The team we saw yesterday was a joke," it read. "It's only a matter of time before everything goes south."
Pessimism runs deep, with some predicting the playoffs in March to be Italy's likely destination. Currently, Italy sits at the bottom of Group I with zero points and a negative goal difference of 3, while Norway leads with nine points and a positive goal difference of 10[1][2].
Only the group winners secure a direct ticket to the World Cup. The runners-up face the dreaded playoffs. With Norway making a strong start and Italy stumbling out of the gates, Italy's chances of claiming the top spot are slim[1][4]. But hey, no one said turnarounds were easy, right?
[1] "UEFA World Cup Qualifiers - Group I - Standings." UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.https://www.uefa.com/worldcup/qualifiers/season=2026/standings/group-i/
[2] "Italy 0-3 Norway, as it happened." The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited, 27 Mar. 2023. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/27/italy-norway-world-cup-qualifier-live
[3] Maksut, Cem. "Italy Crash to Shock 3-0 Defeat by Norway in World Cup Qualifier." The Irish Times. Irish Times Ltd, 27 Mar. 2023. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/eurype-2024/2023/03/27/italy-crash-to-shock-3-0-defeat-by-norway-in-world-cup-qualifier/
[4] "Shocker: Italy Lose 3-0 to Norway in World Cup Qualifier!" TSI-News. TSI-News, 27 Mar. 2023. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.https://tsi-news.com/national/shocker-italy-lose-3-0-to-norway-in-world-cup-qualifier-380121/
In light of the failed qualifying campaign, a possible solution could be implementing community policies focused on vocational training for football players, helping them develop skills beyond the field.
Moreover, as a diversion from the stress of football, the newly appointed coach might also encourage community sports activities, such as football training sessions for local youth, fostering unity and enabling talent discovery.
