Italian football is shaken by a deep crisis after the men's national team was eliminated by Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranked 66th in the world, in a World Cup qualifying playoff.
The loss, which came on penalties, means that Italy will miss its third World Cup in a row.
The backlash in the football-mad country has been strong. Several politicians, including Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, are demanding the resignation of federation president Gabriele Gravina. He describes the situation as “an unacceptable disgrace,” according to the Financial Times.
The qualifying fiasco was also Gennaro Gattuso's last as national team head coach, according to Sky. The TV channel reports that the icon is stepping down from his position after just eight games at the helm.
