Italy on the verge of most critical ‘junction’! need to beat Northern Ireland and Bosnia, or Wales
Italy is now on the verge of their most critical junction in its football history. The Azzurri, four-time world champions, are once again in front of deep trouble as they now stare at the World Cup playoffs after finishing second in their group. They have already been overtaken by an imposing Norway led by Erling Haaland, who beat them 3–0 in Oslo and 4–1 in Milán. Gennaro Gattuso’s team must have been hurt, exposed and with no margin for error. It will be a complete for disaster Italy to miss 2026 World Cup after missing Russia in 2018 and Qatar World Cup in 2022 already. The country’s football identity and the entire ecosystem surrounding the Calcio will be at stake! Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is not only going to be a sporting objective; it will be able to bring Italy’s football legacy. Additionally, reaching the World Cup brings money, global attention, sponsors, international markets and renewed motivation for a Serie A that is trying to regain ground in Europe. They now have to defeat Northern Ireland in the semi-final of the World Cup Play-Off, to be held in March and then play either Wales or Bosnia in a must-win match to earn the qualification for the World Cup finals. If they fail again, the impact would be unprecedented. Missing three consecutive World Cups would be a stain never seen before in more than a century of Italian football. The entire Italian football ecosystem depends on the national team’s success: youth academies, foreign investment, player valuation, league attractiveness—everything grows when Italy is present at the World Cup. A third straight failure could trigger a sporting blackout: less prestige, less investment, fewer rising talents. This playoff is their last chance to correct the trajectory before more years pass without Italy reclaiming its former status. More precisely, the play-off will be their final test before disaster or the first step toward rebuilding a fallen giant.
‘Gambhir advised Gill skipping IPL is the best way to reduce workload,’ says Akash Chopra
Shubman Gill’s neck injury seems to be raising the same question of ‘workload management’ again after Jaspreet Bumrah. The India pacer is already under the treatment of the BCCI to undergo the ‘workload management’ process! And this new process is helping Bumrah participate in select tournaments for his country. Gill remains one of the fittest players in the game, but being an all-format star, injuries have already started to make maintaining top fitness and form difficult for him. After missing the forthcoming second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, many feel that Gill’s workload needs to be managed, also. But, head coach Gamtam Gambhir reportedly doesn’t feel he can give Gill a break from international commitments. Former India cricketer Akash Chopra claimed that he had a chat with Gambhir on the ‘workload management’ topic involving Gill. The head, surprisingly, seemed to have told Gill to skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) if he needs rest, but he can’t afford to miss international games. “I asked this question to Gautam before the Test match against the West Indies. His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL. If you don’t want to lead because leading the IPL team puts too much pressure, then don’t lead. And while playing for India, if you are fit, you are not mentally fatigued,” said Chopra, an expert with Jio-Star for the ongoing India vs South Africa Test series. Chopra further said that he agrees with Gambhir on the sentiment, as in-form players like Gill should remain with the team and maximize the services they offer. “And as a batter, I can also second the opinion that when you are going through a good form, you really want to maximise. Because you never know when the bad form hits you and where the next one is going to come from. So, if there is no fitness concern per se and if there is no mental burnout concern that is very individual-specific, you stay with them and you play as much as you can, as often as you can,” he concluded.
