Azzuri debacle

A renowned British football journalist once remarked that Diego Maradona, before holding the Hand of God in the 1986 World Cup, met the Boot of Satan in the 1982 edition. That boot of course belonged to Claudio Gentile — a worthy successor of a long line of Italian defensive hardmen — who literally kicked Maradona out of his debut World Cup.

That Italian world came crashing down on late Monday night when the unthinkable happened. For the first time in close to 60 years, footballing power house Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, to be held in Russia next year. For the Italian fan this is nothing short of an apocalypse.

Now Italy has never been the neutral fan’s favourite the way Brazil, Argentina or even sometimes England is. But there is little doubt that Italy is one of the world’s footballing heavy weights — winning the World Cup no less than four times, just one behind Brazil’s five.

Italian football has always had a unique quality to it — its gritty, defensive and often cussed ways have rarely attracted fans from outside the country. In Italy football has always been more about tactics and strategy than about beauty and excitement. Football in Italy often resembles a game of chess and it had a certain attraction for the footballing connoisseur. No team in the world can defend a 1-0 lead the way the Italians can. The games may not always be pretty to watch but are still engrossing in their own way. Paolo Maldini’s well-timed, last-ditch tackle to deny an opposing forward from scoring can be just as beautiful as a well-crafted goal scored by an attacker.

But to view Italian football as just a bunch of dour players would be unfair. Despite its justified reputation for producing world class defenders, Italy has also produced some skilful, exciting forwards and midfield players. It was Paolo Rossi’s goal poaching ability that won Italy the World Cup in 1982. Who can forget Roberto Baggio’s silken skills — a Buddhist with a passion for hunting —— who almost won them the Cup again in 1994. Remember Baggio’s debut goal for Italy in the 1990 World Cup against the erstwhile Czechoslovakia —— a mazy run from the midfield past a host of defenders?

Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti too were exciting footballers belonging to the Baggio tradition.

The recently-retired midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo was arguably the best midfielder of his generation, whose vision, passing ability and dead ball skills were unparalleled.

But in the end it was the image of the iconic Gianluigi Buffon sobbing uncontrollably after Monday night’s match against Sweden that the world woke up to. For Buffon, who lifted the World Cup in 2006, it was cruel end to much storied career. Buffon arguably the best goal keeper in the last decade-and-a-half deserved a better send off.

Ironically Italy crashed out to Sweden in that most Italian of ways — losing 0-1 in a home-and-away play-off. The Azzuris, for all their cussed and frustrating tactics, will be much missed in the next World Cup.

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