Jorginho shoots the penalty in the night sky of Rome
Those: AP / Gregorio Borgia
Jorginho can make everything clear for Italy in the 90th minute against Switzerland. But the European champions forgive miserably and fight back tears. Now it will be tight in the World Cup qualification. Will the 2018 nightmare repeat itself?
An the beginning of July was the beginning of July, Jorginho was Italy’s penalty taker. With his penalty he gave the Azzurri victory in the European Championship semi-finals against Spain, followed by the coronation at Wembley. Four months and three missed penalties later, however, Europe’s “Football of the Year” threatens to become a very tragic figure. Ironically, Jorginho’s miss from the point in the 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Friday evening put Italy in an extremely delicate situation.
In the World Cup qualification, the European champion is level on points with the Confederates in the last game day. On Monday evening there will be a long-distance duel, Italy have to play in Northern Ireland, Switzerland at home against Bulgaria. If the Italians get fewer points than Switzerland, then they miss group place first and have to go to the qualifying playoffs.
Four years ago, in that dangerous extra round, the ticket for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was miserably forfeited and an entire country slipped into the great football crisis. Will the Squadra Azzurra’s nightmare repeat itself? Incidentally, if Italy and Switzerland win, then the goal difference decides – so there may be a shooting competition on Monday. Italy is still two goals better.
Italy would have been spared all the worries and arithmetic had Jorginho hit the penalty in the 90th minute and not – as Roberto Baggio once did in the 1994 World Cup final – over the bar.
The trainer wants a new shooter
“Something like that happens,” said Leonardo Bonucci. Do not rage! “We have to look ahead. Now we’re going to Belfast as a team, as a group, as a family, and we’re going to win the World Cup. ”Defender Giovanni di Lorenzo, who equalized the Swiss lead through Silvan Widmer, emphasized:“ Jorginho is a great champion. We will all help him right now. “
Inconsolable: Jorginho after the final whistle against Switzerland
What: REUTERS
Both defenders said that Jorginho, who visibly struggled with tears after his missed shot, would remain Italy’s shooter off the point. National coach Roberto Mancini sees it differently. The coach took his “key player” under protection and gave the Chelsea FC professional credit for having even started at the moment: “He dared to do it, it takes guts for that.”
However, the coach was asked late on Friday evening whether the 29-year-old midfielder was really the number one candidate for penalties. “He’s struggling a little now,” said Mancini. “I’ll talk to him, let’s see what he thinks. But we would probably switch if we got another penalty. “
Jorginho missed in the first leg
The native Brazilian has long been considered a safe professional from the point and underlined that with his ice-cold hit against the Spaniards. But then the series of bankruptcies began: In the European Championship final against England, Jorginho competed for the title for the 911, but did not convert. The mistake was negligible because shortly afterwards goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma ensured the triumph with his final save.
Then in the first leg of the World Cup qualification in Switzerland (0-0) Yann Sommer parried a penalty from Jorginho. And now the shot in the night sky of Rome. Murat Yakin recognized a “necessary nervousness”, as the Switzerland coach said with a grin.
Italy and Jorginho should find their cool again on Monday in Belfast – so that this dream year doesn’t really end in a nightmare.
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