Italy hoping to scale World Cup 'Everest' ahead of Bosnia play-off showdown

Italy have one more obstacle standing between them and a return to the World Cup in the shape of Bosnia and Hercegovina, who host the Azzurri on Tuesday in what promises to be a tense qualification play-off final in Zenica.

A battling win over Northern Ireland in last week’s semi-final did little to ease Italian supporters’ fears about missing out on a third straight World Cup, goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean stopping a lacklustre display from turning into another disaster.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso called Tuesday’s showdown in Zenica “Everest” due to the weight of expectation weighing on his shoulders as he tries to guide Italy back to the world’s biggest football tournament after 12 years away.

The prize for Italy is a spot in Group B at this summer’s finals alongside co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, and something to look forward to for a powerful football nation that has fallen behind its rivals since last lifting the World Cup in 2006.

Gattuso said that he’s not “interested in the performance” of his players in what will be a soaking and rowdy Bilino Polje Stadium, which has seen snow in the last few days.

But his players have also come under fierce criticism for the way they greeted Bosnia’s win on penalties over Wales in Tuesday’s other semi-final.

A group of players, most prominently full-back Federico Dimarco, were filmed fist-pumping in celebration when Kerim Alajbegovic shot Bosnia’s winning spot-kick in Cardiff.

That gesture led former Roma and Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic to tell the Gazzetta Dello Sport that “Bosnia is waiting for them with open arms”.

The controversy even caused former Italy goalkeeper Dino Zoff, a World Cup winner in 1982, to criticise the current team for making their task in Bosnia more difficult than it needs to be.

“It wasn’t a good thing to do because it will just further fire up our opponents, I would have behaved differently,” Zoff told newspaper Il Giornale.

‘No disrespect’

Dimarco was wheeled out on Sunday to put an end to the controversy, the Inter Milan star insisting that he “wasn’t showing disrespect for Bosnia or the Bosnian people”.

“I’ve heard people say we were arrogant. There’s really no reason to be, we’ve missed the last two World Cups,” said Dimarco.

That so much attention is being placed on such an innocuous gesture from a group of players is emblematic of the tension surrounding Tuesday’s match.

Italian media have even suggested that Clement Turpin being selected as referee is a bad omen, as the Frenchman was the official in charge of the play-off disaster with North Macedonia which cost Italy a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But more than superstition it will be a dangerous opponent and hostile crowd that will be Italy’s biggest hurdle.

Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko showed with his late equaliser in Cardiff that at the age of 40 he can still do damage up front and his successful career in Italy with Roma and Inter will also add to the fear factor.

Dzeko could play alongside Red Bull Salzburg forward Alajbegovic, a promising 18-year-old who will join Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and who set up his veteran teammate’s goal on Thursday.

“Against Italy I don’t know who can call themselves favourites, so even if we’re playing at home they are definitely the favourites,” said Dzeko on Thursday.

“It would mean everything of course, not just for me but also for these young kids, new generation that is coming through.

“There is a lot of quality, a lot of good players and also for them it would be something fantastic for their careers. Hopefully we can achieve that.”