The Italian Football Federation, through its president Gabriele Gravina, has asked the League on Monday to postpone one day of Serie A so that Roberto Manicni’s team can prepare with more time for the qualifying playoffs for the World Cup. 2022 at the end of March.
“We have asked for the postponement and we hope that the League can grant Mancini a few more days. It would be another dark page if Italy did not qualify for an event that symbolizes football in our country,” Gravina told Rai Radio Uno in an attempt to to prevent the ‘azzurra’ from being left out of the World Cup for the second time in a row after already being removed from Russia 2018 by Sweden in another dramatic playoff.
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Italy, champion of the European Championship last July, was relegated by Switzerland to second place in their group in the qualifying phase for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and now they must earn their passport in two single-match playoff qualifiers. First they must overcome North Macedonia in the semifinals on March 24 in Palermo and then they should visit the winner of Portugal-Turkey five days later in the final.
The Italian Federation intends to postpone matchday 30 of Serie A scheduled for the weekend of March 19 and 20. “We need to qualify, we have the conditions to do it. Italy responds in times of difficulty”, says Gravina.
Mancini, enchanted
For his part, Mancini would welcome the deal. “Of course, if there were three or four more days, it would be better,” the Italian coach said during a news conference in late January. “Otherwise the players will arrive on Sunday or Monday and we will play on Thursday. The more time we have to prepare the matches, the better.”