The sporting day of truth awaits European football champions Italy on November 20th in Leverkusen. After the 1:3 defeat against the English, it is already clear that a decision about direct European Championship qualification will only take place in the direct duel with the Ukrainians – and this will be played on neutral ground in the Leverkusen Arena because of the Russian war of aggression.
Coach Luciano Spalletti commented on the impending scenarios of failure: “I’m not afraid of anything. It’s normal that you have to play such knockout games.”
Ukraine now has 13 points. Italy have ten points but have an additional game against North Macedonia on November 17th before the showdown on the final day of the match. If they manage to win, a draw against Ukraine would be enough. Otherwise, a win is absolutely necessary in the Rhineland in order to follow group winners England to the 2024 European Championship in Germany. “We have to show an even better attitude,” said Spalletti. In the event of failure, the detour would still be via the Nations League in March 2024, but in such a pressure situation, Italy already failed before the 2022 World Cup. The proud football nation also missed the 2018 World Cup.
But that is not Italy’s only concern. The new betting scandal has had its first legal consequences since Tuesday. National player Nicolò Fagioli from Juventus Turin will be banned for seven months after an agreement with prosecutors at the sports court. The relatively short suspension is twelve months in total, but the 22-year-old midfielder can serve five of them with a number of other commitments. This includes Fagioli undergoing therapy for his gambling addiction for six months.
Two other young stars of the national team are also involved in the scandal, but they had to leave the team: Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo. Further revelations are announced.
