Updated at 22.40
ITALY FAILED TO reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958 on Monday as they were held to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their play-off at the San Siro by Sweden, who qualified with a 1-0 aggregate victory.
The four-time champions dominated possession but struggled to create enough clear-cut chances, as Sweden secured a first appearance at the finals since 2006 courtesy of Jakob Johansson’s first-leg strike in Stockholm.
Despite the support of 74,000 fans in a white-hot atmosphere at the San Siro the 2006 World Cup winners could not find a way through.
It is the third time that the Italians will not compete at the World Cup, after not going to the first edition in 1930 and not qualifying for the 1958 finals in Sweden.
It marks the end of an era for iconic goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon who will not be able to compete in his sixth World Cup.
At 39, the 175-times capped Buffon had announced that the finals in Russia would be his last as a player for the national side.
Without star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who retired from the national team after Euro 2016, Sweden sealed a return to the tournament after failing to reach the last two editions. The last time the Scandinavians participated was in 2006.
It was a mediocre performance by the hosts with Antonio Candreva firing over and Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen denying Alessandro Florenzi and Ciro Immobile.
Mikael Lustig almost scored an own goal when his deflection hit the bar.
Marco Verratti sat out a ban with Simone Zaza and Leonardo Spinazzola both injured, with Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Belotti not fully fit.
Coach Gian Piero Ventura gave Brazil-born Jorginho his first competitive appearance for Italy with Florenzi and Manolo Gabbiadini also handed starts. Napoli’s in-form winger Lorenzo Insigne however was once again left on the bench.
Sweden’s Lustig was back from suspension, with Johansson starting in place of the injured Albin Ekdal.
The hosts had penalty appeals in the opening few minutes as Marco Parolo appeared to be tripped from behind by Ludwig Augustinsson, but the referee waved play on and booked Giorgio Chiellini for dissent.
Sweden lost first-leg goalscorer Johansson after 15 minute when his left knee buckled badly and he was stretchered off to make way for Gustav Svensson.
Jorginho’s through ball found Immobile to pull back from the byline for Candreva to blast over, but Leonardo Bonucci, wearing a protective mask after breaking his nose on Friday, got a knock to the knee and was limping badly.
Florenzi thought he had scored on 53 minutes with a flying volley from Matteo Darmian’s cross, but it went wide.
Bonucci took off his protective mask on the hour mark, with Ventura bringing on Stephan El Shaarawy and Torino striker Belotti.
Federico Bernardeschi was the final Italy substitution and Olsen turned away a Parolo header.
As the clock ticked the crowd at the San Siro began to sing the national anthem.
An El Shaarawy shot was kept out by Olsen and Parolo’s header whent wide, then Buffon came up for a corner in a final desperate gamble as Italy fell short of reaching the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
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The way Sweden defended is poetic justice when it comes to Italian Football.
@Donal O’Leary: Ha ha, great news!
@Donal O’Leary: defending is an art and an integral part of football since it’s inception, Italy were traditionally very good at it but produced some of the best attacking players in the world also. Sweden were good at it tonight defending your area and ensuring it’s done well is a joy to watch imo
@Noel James Doherty: defence is an integral part in the NFL .
Each team should play to there strengths
@Donal O’Leary: An absolutely shocking game to watch, Sweden killed it dead. Fair play to them and as you say, it’s nothing if not poetic justice.
@John Considine: it was hugely entertaining and a real showcase for those who don’t think that teams deserve to be in the big finals, they have to earn it. Sweden’s absolutely shocking kick outs to touch and poor attacks in their 25% possession scored exactly the same amount of goals as Italy’s arrogant attacking and constant pleasing with the referee. For most viewers, Sweden were brilliant.
@Donal O’Leary: most of the worlds best sides are in Europe apart from a few South American teams. Yet only 12 European qualifying slots out of 31 are available here. What’s worse, when it expands to 48 from 32, Europe will only get an extra 3 slots. Meanwhile league of Ireland standard sides from Asia and Africa will be at the finals. It’s a joke.
@Gulliver Foyle: since you mentioned the ref, he was brutal. Missed more than one definite penalty.
@Donal O’Leary: a truer word was never spoken
@Donal O’Leary: What are you talking about “poetic justice” for?! As if the art of good defending was a bad thing…
No longer a force. Gutted for buffon I have to say.
@Donal Coakley: Yep feel sorry for Buffon on his last crack at it. Class act and a top bloke.
That’s for Schillachi
@Dave Malone: we got them for schillaci in 94
@Noel James Doherty: it was italia 90
@David Devereaux: yes i know that, Ireland beat Italy at the next world cup 94 Ray Houghton
@Noel James Doherty: my bad its how I read it
Holland.
Chile.
USA.
Ghana.
Cameroon.
We can now add Italy to the list of top teams who failed to qualify for World Cup 2018. There’s nobody left in it, it’s wide open next year.
I’ll tell you what, of Martin’s boys can put in a decent performance tomorrow night and dump European Championship winners Denmark out ten who knows ? we could go all the way and bring the Jules Rimet back to Ireland for the first time in our history.
@Dean Moriarity: sure isn’t it already over. North Korea beat Brazil 7-1. Its all over twitter
@Dean Moriarity: we’d be doing well to bring jules rimet back.
@Dean Moriarity: i dont think ur well Dean!!
@Dean Moriarity: not Ghana out, sure it won’t be worth watching!
@Dean Moriarity: Some of what you’re on, please.
@Donncha Ó Ríordáin: ah I don’t know – we could probably buy at least part of it on the black market in brazil…..
@Augustus hoop: could rob the old one
Never seen the 42 so quick with an article. Wow!!!
@Rons: just so anti italian isn’t it….
@Rons: liberals – love the swedes
@Rons: practising for tomorrow night……
The Robbie Brady effect…downhill since we beat them last year
@Johnny: Brady himself has gone downhill since then too.
@Johnny: we beat their C team
@Jaydee: how does one have a C team in a 23 man squad? #maths
Disappointed for Bouffan, Bonucci and co, legends of the game that don’t deserve to go out like this. But thats sport I spose.
@Coner Willis: and don’t forget Buffon..
@Coner Willis: Bonucci is hardly a legend of the game, besides he’s still only 30.
Fair play Sweden. Mad that Holland or Italy won’t be at the World Cup
@Jordo: Gotta make room for Morocco and Tunisia!
@Kris Ertz: and Ireland… Hopefully.
@Sean Flanagan: Accrington Stanley are playing tomorrow night too, just in case the excitement gets too much :)
No Dutch No Italians. Won’t be the same without them. ENGERLAND ENGERLAND ENGERLAND will definitly win it now.
@Is mise muc gránna: no they wont actually
Farewell young Buffon, thanks for the memories .
Arrivederci!!
Delighted
Well done Sweden! Defended with everything they had and scraped through. Not easy to watch but that wont matter a tap to the swedesa Remind you of any other team? Roll on tomorrow night!
ventura quickly made his way to dressing room to avoid interviews, buffon left to face questions while in tears,says all you need to know about that manager. Even a clip with about 20 mins to go of de rossi losing it when being told to warm up, telling assistant coach that they need win while pointing at insigne sitting close to him. Unfortunately typical old school Italian coach afraid to take a chance and instead played it so safe even when they needed to chase the game that he kept three CB’s on the field,Italian football federation needs clearing out of all these dinosaurs running it
A sad day Italy always raise their game for the world cup finals. The decline of Italian football has been going on for years. This day just confirms it.
I am very sad that Italy are out. They are a spent force, they were very poor.
Who gives a Fusilli
@Conor Glancy: are you saying Italy are pasta it ?
@Brian Les: boom….
wont be the same. then again it will be one less giant team for us to play against i suppose.
think it’s very sad not to see the once mighty Italians there.Sad way for Buffon to go out too.Hope Italy don’t go down the Holland route to obscurity
So does that mean we missed a bullet or what?
Thats what you get for hiring an incompetent manager.
Won’t be the same without them.
Thank god! They were crap through all the qualifiers.
I’ll miss their anthem ,and that’s about it,
Hardly a humiliation, come on.
Italy haven’t recovered since Brady stuck it in the back of their net
https://pasteboard.co/GTvZbub.jpg
Teams who set out to park the bus for 90 minutes not only produce dire football but tragically exit the competition without having had a real crack at scoring. It’s destructive football and frustrating to watch. The tournament is better off without them.
@Sean: In all fairness, it was Sweden parking the bus. And good luck to them. Italy were the ones trying to score. Your comment makes no sense.
thats it im shocked actually. fair play 2 sweden though.
Hardly a humiliation it wasn’t San Marino or the likes they were playing
This game was on Sunday, not Monday as stated in your article.
@Desmond Lyons: some time difference if it was. On live here 7.45pm Monday night!