Four-time champions Italy face missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958, a potential national humiliation likened to the “apocalypse” by the team’s fanatical supporters. The Italy coach blamed bad luck and the referee for Friday’s defeat in Stockholm. “We must all be on the same page, all of Italy united, as at the end of the day we all want to go to the World Cup in Russia. Italy are World Cup superstars having won the competition four times — 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 — and lost two finals in 1970 and 1994. “Italy are a great nation that has almost always played the World Cup.

Source: Punch November 13, 2017 03:00 UTC