At least since Pythagoras there have been people who believe in the mystical meaning of numbers.
Omens play no small role in this.
The superstitious Italians have succeeded this mathematical-esoteric school, which can be seen, among other things, in the run-up to the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland this Friday (8.45 p.m. at DAZN).
The game will be played on Friday, November 12th. According to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the “apocalypse” of Italian football happened on November 13th, according to the popular soul. In 2017, the national team failed on that date in the play-offs after a 0-0 draw against Sweden: Italy missed a soccer World Cup for the first time in 60 years. Last summer, coach Roberto Mancini's team became European champions. The azure-blue world of football was as whole as it had been in a long time, all wounds seemed to be healed. And suddenly it gets tight again. "Alarm Italy," warned the Corriere dello Sport.
It's irritating. "Can you be European champion, play a spectacular game that has become a brand, climb the FIFA rankings to fourth place, but not be qualified for the World Cup?" That was the question the newspaper La Repubblica asked days ago on behalf of all Tifosi . Italy are in first place in Group C, tied with Switzerland, two games before the end of qualification. If Mancini's men, which cannot be mentioned in Italy for metaphysical reasons, lose to Switzerland in the Roman Olympic Stadium, the play-offs threaten. And with it the apocalyptic scenario of 2017.
You can now think positively, as the national coach does. Mancini called the third game against Switzerland within a year “game of the year”. At the EM, Italy prevailed 3-0. In the World Cup qualification in September they couldn't get past a 0-0 draw in Basel. "We have to stay calm, we will play a great game and score the goals we need," the 56-year-old swore.
It is also possible to look for the reasons for this unexpected situation.
It becomes clear that the future European champion surfed a wave of euphoria during the tournament, which did not end so abruptly.
During the tournament, Italy only prevailed in the semi-finals and the final on penalties and not after 90 or 120 minutes.
This was followed by two more draws against Bulgaria (1: 1) and Switzerland (0: 0) in the World Cup qualifying, which revealed the difficulties of the team, which has meanwhile been taken very seriously by the opponents.
Dynamics and flow of the game are missing
Since the Achilles tendon injury of full-back Leonardo Spinazzola in the EM quarter-finals against Belgium, the team has not managed the game in the majority as smoothly as with the participation of the 28-year-old from AS Roma. Spinazzola always pushed to the opponent's penalty area and caused chaos in the defense of the Italian opponents. His representative Emerson Palmieri does not have the same dynamic. In October Italy's 37-game streak broke without defeat. In the semi-finals of the Nations League, Mancini's team lost 2-1 to Spain.
The long-term question to which Pythagoras might have had an answer is: How will Italy manage to return to their geometrical and irresistible offensive game, also in view of Switzerland's defensive strength, which has not conceded a goal in the past four games? High pressing, winning the ball in the opposing half, fast, precise passing game, are the answers that the national coach repeats like a mantra and that Italy, who is interested in football, has long known by heart. Alone, it no longer wants to work properly.
La Repubblica therefore predicted a "nervous battle" in the Stadio Olimpico, which had 52,000 spectators. The injury-related failures of captain Giorgio Chiellini, director Marco Verratti and striker Ciro Immobile do not contribute to self-confidence. Although the real estate failure also offers potential. The 31-year-old has already scored 15 goals at Lazio this season, his last goal for the national team was in June, from the European Championship game against Switzerland. Italy are now hoping for their nominal deputy Andrea Belotti, for winger Domenico Berardi or the young, 21-year-old Giacomo Raspadori. If one of the three scores the decisive goal, everything would be pink again at the Azzurri. Then only one qualification point was missing to qualify on Monday against Northern Ireland in Belfast.
"Do it like us," shouted old Italian World Cup heroes like Francesco Totti or Dino Zoff from the front page of Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday, knowing full well that their advice would only have a limited effect.
But a World Cup for the second time without Italy, the current European champions?
More than apocalyptic.
Roberto Mancini summed up the situation in a dictum between dialectical mysticism and Karl Valentin: "If we play the way we can, we win, and if we win, we are almost at the World Cup." Now it just has to be successful.