Mancini’s Italy facing battle to ‘win back’ dispirited fans
The four-time world champions, long a source of national pride, have hit one low after another, failing to qualify for the past three World Cups after previously not missing one since 1958.
Roberto Mancini, Italy's national football coach, acknowledges the need to regain the support of disenchanted fans. The journey begins with a Nations League match against Belgium in Rome on Friday. Italy, once the nation's pride, has experienced a series of setbacks that have left fans apathetic. Despite four-time world championship glory, the team has failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups since 2018.
Fans like Luigi Giaquinto and Alessandro Maurillo lament the team's decline, remembering their 2006 Euro victory and 37-match unbeaten run under Mancini. Mancini, who previously coached Italy and was sacked in 2023, vows to revitalize the team through enthusiasm and full effort. However, recent results have dashed fan optimism, with losses to Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina in qualifying matches.
The struggles of Italian clubs mirroring the national team's woes reflect broader societal issues, including limited opportunities for young players. Only 32,000 of 70,000 tickets for Friday's Group A1 match against Belgium have been sold, signaling potential fan disengagement.
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- Mancini’s Italy facing battle to ‘win back’ dispirited fans freemalaysiatoday.com
