Malevolent Friendlies: How Hubris Caused Italy’s Failure to Qualify for the 2018 World Cup

Forget tactics, coaches and players selections: what truly matters in international football is getting a result in every single game contested regardless if it is a friendly, an international qualifier or a Final. In retrospect, the Italian National Team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup when they were dropped down into Pot 2 of the World Cup Qualification Draw. Here is why: since winning the World Cup in July 2006, Italy’s record in friendlies has been abysmal of 16 wins, 19 draws and 18 losses. Yet fans, players, coaches and directors failed to comprehend why Italy was so low in the FIFA Rankings (yes, the FIFA Rankings are horrendously flawed, but let’s keep that aside for this argument). Regardless of the evidence of their poor record in International Friendlies and its effect on the FIFA Rankings, numerous Italian CTs and players dismissed these games as “meaningless”. Instead, they say “we are Italy” and expect the result to come because “they are Italy”. Guess what? In International Friendlies, the opponents are also playing for pride and to give their fans a prestigious scalp against Italy. The warning signs were there right after Italy won the World Cup when they lost 2-0 to Croatia in August 2006. They suffered another embarrassing defeat a year later, losing 3-1 away to Hungary. In 2010, Italy lost 2-1 to Mexico and 1-0 to the Ivory Coast. In 2014, they tied Luxembourg 1-1. With all due respect to these nations, Italy should be getting results against these types of squads. From this point on (especially since UEFA reorganized the system of how friendlies are to be played), there should be no more talk about how friendlies are meaningless or unimportant to the FIFA Rankings because they do matter, and proven by the fact that Italy was placed in Pot 2 for this World Cup draw. Former and current directors, CTs, players and fans should be eating their words because Italy is no longer “Italy” because they missed the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.