Once again, it turned out that Italy, one of the world’s biggest football nations, is unable to qualify for a World Cup final. Not many hours after the “national mourning” started, the criticism of the entire system in Serie A and Italy comes. Napoli owner Laurentiis of course uses the opportunity to criticize the set-up in the Italian league with too many clubs and too tight a league schedule, while others go deeper, and look at Italian football. After Bodø/Glimt had sent Serie A leader Inter Milan out of the Champions League, an interesting analysis came about Italian football, which after yesterday’s World Cup playoff loss to Italy seems very acute.
Before the second leg at the San Siro, where Inter Milan were to “rectify” the 3-1 loss up at the Arctic Circle, an entertaining analysis came in La Repblublica. The journalist was convinced the Bodø/Glimt players would get a taste of Inter Milan’s greatness at the San Siro with: “A packed stadium, supporters’ cheers and a turf that is far more well-groomed and predictable in the bounce than what they are used to – and three meters wider than Aspmyra”. As you know, it ended with another Glimt victory. Then another Italian journalist comes out with the opposite message: “Italian teams must copy Bodø/Glimt!”
READ: Bodø/Glimt supporters get yet another confirmation that they have the striker for the big games
A Gazzetta dello Sport journalist firmly believed that Knutsen’s Bodø/Glimt have rapped the basic philosophy of Italian football. -They stole our idea, Vernazza began in a comment for the sports newspaper.
“Everyone talks about how strong, entertaining and organized Bodø are – and it’s true – but it should be noted that Bodø played a very defensive game, where they fought and focused on counter-attacks, as Italian teams previously did,” the journalist continues.
Who wants back the cynical and direct football Italy for so many decades was known and notorious for.
“Bodø didn’t dribble. They had speed and few touches, the commentator believes. We neither ask for, nor can we afford – because we lack the right players – a return to the Italian defense from the more extreme times. With the “Berlin Wall” we won our last World Cup in 2006, and with José Mourinho’s Inter we won our last Champions League in 2010. Even the European Championship gold in 2021 was a success based on the goalkeeper and defenders, Vernazza doses.
Who believes the whole of football Italy must learn from Kjetil Knutsen’s Bodø/Glimt.
“It would be enough with an organization like Bodø: It’s something we can strive for. We must stop aping unattainable models. We should start from scratch – from scratch. To even get started again, we need to reclaim the essentials and cynicism. The principles Bodø were inspired by against Inter. They’ve stolen our idea, and they’ve stolen it well,” the Italian journalist grumbles.
Italy sent to the playoff for a World Cup ticket after two losses against Norway. Inter Milan sent out of the Champions League after a total of 2-5 loss against Bodø/Glimt. Atalanta out of the Champions League in the round of 8 after a 2-10 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich. Italy denied a World Cup ticket after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Time to send the Italian Football Federation and Serie A directors on a study trip to Bodø and Norway?
