Italy have everything they need to end World Cup exile, says Raspadori
Italy must beat Northern Ireland, then potentially Wales, if they are to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but Giacomo Raspadori has faith.
Giacomo Raspadori is confident Italy can avoid missing out on a third straight edition of the World Cup next year, after they were condemned to the play-offs.
The Azzurri – four-time winners of FIFA's flagship international tournament – have not played at the World Cup since 2014, failing to qualify for Russia 2018 or Qatar 2022.
Their last knockout match in the competition, meanwhile, was the 2006 final, when they overcame France on penalties to lift the trophy after Zinedine Zidane's infamous red card.
And there is every chance they will be absent again on the 20-year anniversary of that success, having finished second in their UEFA qualification group.
After finishing behind Norway, Italy must face Northern Ireland in a play-off semi-final next March, with the victors taking on Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a ticket to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"We have to go through the play-offs. We knew that, we know how important it is for us and for Italy as a country not to fail," Raspadori told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"We're aware of how much it weighed on us, not making the last two World Cups.
"The national team has some difficulties, but we've always performed well in adversity, and we want to do it again, this time to achieve a goal that we can't afford to miss."
After Luciano Spalletti was dismissed in June, Gennaro Gattuso became only the third Italy head coach to win his first five matches at the helm, after Edmondo Fabbri between 1962 and 1963 and Azeglio Vicini between 1986 and 1987.
The Azzurri were then thumped 4-1 by Norway in their final match in Group I, but Raspadori – who was an unused substitute for that game – believes the former AC Milan midfielder is the right man for the job.
"There's never just one reason when things start to go wrong. We know that we have a lot of qualities, both technically and mentally," he said.
"We have to work from there and do everything we can to make use of our strengths.
"We have the players, the team is strong, the coach prepares us well. We have everything we need to make it."
