Theater club

Club teams had an impact on Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup | Sports

ROME (AP) — Loved and admired around the world for producing players like Roberto Baggio and Andrea Pirlo, the Italian national team struggles for respect at home.

In a country where club teams rule and where provincialism dating back to medieval times still reigns, the Azzurri are often seen as an afterthought, if not an inconvenience.

This page requires JavaScript.

Javascript is required for you to play premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmxE2=:2? 4=F3D @7E6? AC676C E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> C2E96C E92? C:D 😕 $6C:6p[ q 2?5 r]k^am

kAmxE2=J [email protected]?’E 6G6? 92G6 2 9@>6 DE25:F> =:3=6J]x?DE625 :E [email protected]>D [email protected]? 5 E96 [email protected]?ECJ[ @7E6? A=2J:?8 82>6D 😕 D>2== DE25:F>D 2?5 4:E:6D — 2AA62C:?8 2E E96 $2? $:C@ 😕 |:=2? 2?5 E96 $E25:@ ~=:>A:4@ 😕 #@>6 [email protected] @?=J E96 3:886DE @7 >2E496D]k^am

kAmsC28865 [email protected]? 3J 2 562CE9 @7 [email protected]@F?8 A=2J6CD 2?5 E96 56>:D6 @7 E96 xE2=:2? =628F6 @G6C E96 =2DE 564256[ [email protected]:>6 492>A:@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^[email protected]@CED>:55=662DE:?E6C?2E:@[email protected]@A6acge_4g6b5dh3bh22cg3`55hd_3c`f24QmxE2 =J 72:=65 E@ BF2=:7Jk^2m [email protected] 2 D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^[email protected]=54FAQm( @C=5 rFAk^2m]k^Am

kAm(:??6CD @7 E96 [email protected]? r92>A:@?D9:A =2DE J62C[ xE2=J H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^[email protected]@CED>:55=662DE:?E6C?2E:@[email protected]@A66d5bac_2e532h_6_ehcaa5d22`66b_ddQm362E6 ? 2E 9@>6 3J }@CE9 |2465@?:2k^2m 😕 2 BF2=:7J:?8 [email protected]:? |2C49]k^Am

kAmu@FC J62CD 62C=:6C[ :E H2D 2 [email protected] [email protected] 2E 9@>6 E@ $H656? E92E <6AE E96 pKKFCC: 7C@> E96 a_`g (@C=5 rFA 😕 #FDD:2]k^am

kAmp?5 2E E96 a_`_ 2?5 ​​a_`c (@C=5 rFAD[ xE2=J H2D 6=:>:?2E65 😕 E96 [email protected] A92D6]k^am

kAm}~ #t$!tr%k^Am

kAm$6C:6 p C67FD65 E96 xE2=:2? [email protected] 7656C2E:@?’D C6BF6DE E@ 2>6?5 :ED 42=6?52C 2?5 >@G6 E96 =628F6 >2E496D 7C@> E96 H66

kAm“%96C6 😀 2=H2JD 8C62E C6D:DE2?46 7C@> E96 4=F3D [email protected] E96 ?2E:@?2= E62>[” 7656C2E:@? AC6D:56?E v23C:6=6 vC2G:?2 D2:5 27E6C E96 [email protected] [email protected]] “%96 ?2E:@?2= E62> 😀 D66? >@C6 2D 2? [email protected]?46 E92? D@>6E9:?8 E92E F?:E6D 2? 6?E:C6 [email protected]?ECJ]”k^Am

kAm|@C6 C646?E=J[ 46?E6C [email protected] r:C@ x>>@3:=6 H2D 96=5 324< 7C@> [email protected]:?8 E96 E62> A=2?6 E@ 2 }2E:@?D {628F6 82>6 😕 wF?82CJ 2>:5 5:D28C66>6?E [email protected] 9:D :?;FCJ DE2EFD 36EH66? E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> 2?5 9:D 4=F3[ {2K:@]k^am

kAmp?5 @? $F?52J[ 2 [email protected]=6 @7 [email protected] 27E6C “2E2C 7246D [email protected] 😕 E96 @A6?:?8 >2E49 @7 E96 (@C=5 rFA[ xE2=J H:== A=2J 2 >@DE=J >62?:?8=6DD 7C:6?5=J 282:?DE pFDEC:2 😕 ‘:6??2]k^am

kAm%96 xE2=:2? [email protected] 7656C2E:@? H2?E65 E@ >@G6 E96 7C:6?5=JH:E9 pFDEC:2 FA 2 52J E@ $2EFC52J E@ 2G@:5 E96 4@?7=:4E H:E9 E96 (@C= 5 rFA 3FE DE2E6 [email protected] #px [email protected]=J C67FD65 3642FD6 :E AC676CC65 E@ 2:C “s2?4:?8 H:E9 E96 $E2CD” @?$2EFC52J ?:89E]k^Am

kAm(:E9 >@56C? xE2=J 92G:?8 366? F?:7:65:? `ge`[ 9:[email protected]:42==J 3:EE6C C:G2=C:6D A6CD:DE 36EH66? [email protected] 2?5 [email protected] 2?5 6G6? 4:E:6D 😕 E96 D2>6 C68:@?]k^am

kAm“[email protected]:?4:2=:D> 92D 366? 2? :DDF6[” #px ?2E:@?2= E62> 2?2=JDE p?E@?:@ s: v6??2C@ D2:5 😕 2? :?E6CG:6H] “p?5 2D 72C 2D A=2J6CD D@>6E:>6D [email protected] H2?E:?8 E@ 8@ E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> 3642FD6 @7 :?;FCJ AC @3=6>D[ [email protected] 2C6 D:EF2E:@?D E92E C682C5 E96 4=F3D]”k ^ Am

kAm$t#xt p’$ st|x$tk^Am

kAm(96? #@>2 H@? E96 :?2F8FC2= 65:E:@? @7 E96 E9:C5E:6C [email protected] r@?76C6?46 {628F6 =2DE D62D@?[ :E H2D E96 7:CDE [email protected]? E:E=6 [email protected] 2? xE2=:2? 4=F3 D:?46 x?E6C |:=2? =:7E65 E96 r92>A:@?D {628F6 [email protected] 😕 a_`_]k^am

kAmu2:=FC6D E@ [email protected] 2?5 3F:=5 ?6H DE25:F>D[ >2E497:I:?8 D42?52=D 2?5 A@@C 7:?2?4:2= 564:D:@?D 92G6 2== 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E96 56>:D6 @7 E96 xE2=:2? =628F6 — 2?5 4@?D6BF6?E=J E96 ?2E:@?2= E62>]k^am

kAmxE2=:2? 4=F3D 92G6 2=D@ 366 ? 96D:E2?EE@ FD6 [email protected]?8 xE2=:2?D[ [email protected]:?8 |2?4:?: E@ D@>6E:>6D C6=J @? A=2J6CD H:E9 =:EE=6 6IA6C:6?46 — =:<6 H96? 96 42==65 FA E96?`hJ62C@=5 }:4@=ò +2?:@=@ 😕 a_`g [email protected] +2?:@=@ 925 6G6C 2AA62C65 😕 $6C:6 p]k^am

kAm+2?:@=@ 😀 [email protected] 4@?D:56C65 @?6 @7 $6C:6 p’D [email protected]=2J6CD]k^Am

kAm“~FC 4=F3D =246?E[” D2:5 s: v6??2C@[ H9@ A=2J65 @? E96 w6==2D ‘6C@?2 E62> E92E H@? $6C:6 p 😕 `hgd] “xE’D 2 >6?E2=:EJ :DDF6]”k^Am

kAm|x$$ts !t}p{%xt$k^Am

kAm%H@ 72:=65 A6?2=EJ 2EE6>AED 7C@> [email protected]:?9@ 😕 E96 BF2=:7J:?8 >2E496D 282:?DE $H:EK6C=2?5 6?565 FA 36:?8 564:D:G6]~?6 >2E49 6?565 __[ E96 @E96C “]k^am

kAmx7 xE2=J 925 H@? 6:E96C @7 [email protected] EH@ >2E496D[ :E [email protected]=5 92G6 7:?:D965 29625 @7 $H:EK6C=2?5 2?5 82:?65 2FE@>2E:4 BF2=:7:42E:@? E@ E96 [email protected]?2>6?E 😕 “2E2C]k^am

kAm“{6EVD [email protected] A6CD64FE6 [email protected]:?9@]qFE :7 [email protected] >:DD EH@ A6?2=E:6D[ [email protected] 6?5 FA DE2J:?8 9@>6[” s: v6??2C@ D2:5]k^am

kAm#t’x’p{k^Am

kAm&?=:

kAm%96 pKKFCC: BF2=:7:65 [email protected] E96 }2E:@?D {628F6 7:?2= [email protected]:? yF?6 H:E9 [email protected]:2[ $A2:? 2?5 E96 }6E96C=2?5D] p?5 xE2=J 😀 3:55:?8 E@ [email protected] E96 a_ba [email protected] ? r92>A:@?D9:A[ H9:49 [email protected]=5 C6AC6D6?E 2 AC:>6 @[email protected]?:EJ E@ C63F:=5 E96 [email protected]?ECJ’D 4CF>3=:?8 DE25:F>D]k^am

kAm|2?4: ? : 42? [email protected]?E@? 2 [email protected] @7 [email protected]?8 A=2J6CD =:>2 2?5 [email protected] +2? :@=@[ u656C:4@ r9:6D2[ v:24@>@ #[email protected]: 2?5 v:2?=F42 $42>2442 E@ EFC? E9:?8D [email protected]?5]k^am

kAm&?96C2=565 (:=7C:65 v?@?E@ 92D 2=D@ :>AC6DD65 [email protected] xE2=J C646?E=J]k^Am

kAm$t#xt p #t!#t$t}%tsk^Am

kAm$6C3:2 2?5 !@=2?5 6249 42==65 FA “ A=2J6CD 7C@> $6C:6 p E@ E96:C (@C=5 rFA DBF25D]p?5 yFG6 ?EFD 😀 D6?5:?8 “ A=2J6CD E@ “2E2C]k^Am

kAm$@ H9@ H:== xE2=:2 ? 72?D [email protected] %96J’== C@@E [email protected] E96 A=2J6CD @? E96:C4=F3 E62>D]k^Am

kAmyFG6?EFD [email protected] H:== 4966C sFš2? ‘[email protected]:ć 2?5 u:=:A [email protected]:ć H:E9 $6C3:2j x?E6C |:=2? 72?DH:== 7@[email protected] #@>6=F {Fj 2?5 pr |:=2? “E:[email protected]:” H:==

kAmxE’D 2== [email protected] E96 4=F3 E62>D — [email protected] xE2=J]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! (@C=5 rFA [email protected] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^[email protected]=54FAQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^[email protected]=54FAk^ 2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^[email protected]^^EH:EE6C]4@>^[email protected]^2mk^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp?5C6H s2>A7 😀 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^p?5C6Hs2>A7Qm9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^p?5C6Hs2>A7k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.