Rome, 1 April (LaPresse) – Italian football ‘needs to be rebuilt’, starting with ‘a shake-up at the top of the FIGC’. This is the view of the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, in the wake of Italy’s defeat on penalties against Bosnia, which sealed the Azzurri’s exclusion from the World Cup for the third consecutive tournament. “Football is a sport and, in a time of military and economic crisis such as this, it should not be burdened with excessive significance. On the other hand, it is undeniable that it is not just a sport. Particularly in Italy, where football has become popular culture, a communal ritual and a source of international prestige. It saddens me to think that there is an entire generation of children and young people who have not yet experienced the thrill of watching the national team play in a World Cup,” Abodi emphasised. “I thank the team and its manager for the commitment they showed again last night, but it is clear to everyone that Italian football needs to be rebuilt and that this process must begin with a renewal of the FIGC leadership,” the minister states plainly. “The Government has demonstrated, in concrete terms, its commitment to the entire Italian sporting movement over recent years. Our athletes have given us enormous satisfaction in so many disciplines, and I consider it objectively wrong to try to deny one’s own responsibility for the third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, accusing the institutions of alleged dereliction of duty and belittling the importance and professional standards of other sports.” “We will continue, as we have done so far, to do what is required of the institutions, but responsibility, humility and respect are needed from everyone. Italy must return to being Italy, even in world football,” concluded Abodi.
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