Leaning against a wall near a news-stand in central Rome, Tommaso Silvestri, 65, scans the morning's front pages, their headlines swinging between 'apocalypse,' 'scandal' and 'disaster' after Italy's latest footballing collapse.
'We've made a real mess of it,' he says, shaking his head. 'We had players who couldn't even find the target.'
'The golden days of Italian football are well and truly gone.'
On Tuesday night in Zenica, four-time World Cup winners Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third consecutive time, losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina after being reduced to 10 men before halftime.
Since winning the World Cup in 2006, the Azzurri have largely disappointed in international tournaments - with the exception of their surprise victory at the Euros in 2021 against England at Wembley.
'We are what our results say we are,' Silvestri said. 'When you shoot and can't even hit the goal, you're not going to go far. When it comes to taking the game home, Italy just doesn't get there anymore.'
Last night's defeat drew swift and emotional reactions across Italian politics and society.
'Everything has a limit,' lamented Ignazio La Russa, president of the Senate and a senior figure in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party.
Gomorrah author and anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano pointed to deeper structural failures in Italian football, from governance to youth development. He expressed concern over corruption at clubs and a lack of investment in nurturing new talent.
'Clubs are corrupt and at the mercy of criminal organisations. True laundering vaults. No investment in young players, no care for second-generation talent. It's easier to buy foreign players than to develop new athletes,' he said in a post on Instagram.
Across Italy, many are wondering what went wrong, with Giovanni Colli, 71, feeling 'betrayed.' 'Not going to the World Cup three times in a row, how on earth did it happen? What a huge disappointment. Everyone should resign. Give the young players a chance,' he says.
Italy's World Cup heartbreak was crystallised in the tear-streaked face of coach Rino Gattuso, who struggled to hold back his emotions after the national team's defeat. 'We don't deserve this, it's not fair. I'm sorry I couldn't make it happen,' Gattuso said, eyes glistening, before retreating to the dressing room.
Despite the disappointment, Gattuso expressed pride in his players: 'I'm proud of my boys and what they gave on the pitch.'
The match, decided on penalties after Italy were reduced to 10 men following Alessandro Bastoni's early red card, gave a brief moment of hope to Italians with Moise Kean's goal, only for it to end in dismay.
Sport journalist Elisabetta Esposito stated that Italian football is facing a difficult period, where loyalty to individual clubs is overshadowing support for the national team. She warned that this third consecutive failure to qualify may deepen young people's disengagement from the Azzurri, reflecting the sentiment that a new generation may no longer know the pride of cheering for their country.
As the nation grapples with this grim reality, one thing remains clear: Italian football is at a crossroads, and significant changes are needed to restore its former glory.
