2022 World Cup / Play-offs – “It’s very hard”: unsurprisingly, the draw for Italy does not delight Roberto Mancini

The reigning European champion will first have to get rid of North Macedonia in the semi-finals, next March. Above all, if he wins this match, he will have to sign a victory in Portugal or Turkey to get his ticket to Qatar. “It’s very hard, Mancini acknowledged. It’s not like it’s a good draw, it could have been a little better. Like Portugal, we will first have to win a match to find ourselves… these are dry matches, it’s always difficult. “

The transalpine coach, however, wanted to reassure his team’s chances of participating in the next World Cup. “We are always confident and positive, he insisted. North Macedonia had a good qualifying group, we will have to play a great game… After that, we’ll see what happens. But since we would have preferred to avoid Portugal, I think Portugal would have gladly avoided Italy, in the same way.“

Fernando Santos did not say otherwise. But the Portuguese coach has more reasons than Mancini to celebrate the draw. “Being able to count on public support and avoiding travel fatigue is important, he stressed. VShe travels, these trips are always a little complicated.“Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates, however, will not have it easy against Turkey before a possible final against Italy.”But I am totally convinced that we will be at the World Cup“, assured Fernando Santos. Roll on spring!