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Tag: Italy

  • Italy miss another World Cup as Portugal, Wales, Sweden advance

    Italy miss another World Cup as Portugal, Wales, Sweden advance

    European champions Italy will miss a second straight FIFA World Cup after being shocked 1-0 in stoppage time by North Macedonia in a play-off on Thursday.

    Four-time world champions Italy dominated the entire game in Palermo and recorded 32-4 attempts at goal but only a few were on target.

    Aleksandar Trajkovski did better on the other end when he found the net with a low shot from 25 metres into the left corner two minutes into added-on time.

    “It is difficult to explain. There is a great disappointment, even today (Thursday) we played a good game but we couldn’t score,” Italy’s veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini, who came on late, said.

    “From September to today we have made mistakes and we have paid for them. I am proud of a team that has given everything.

    “But it is clear that we are destroyed and crushed, a great void will remain within us.”

    While Italy and their coach Roberto Mancini will be licking their wounds some eight months after winning the Euro title, North Macedonia face a deciding match against Portugal on Tuesday.

    They will be looking for a place at their first World Cup finals, set to start Nov. 21 in Qatar.

    “The way that July of last year was the most beautiful achievement of my professional life, I think this is also the greatest disappointment,” Mancini said after the match, leaving questions about his future with the national team pending.

    “We’ll see, at the moment the disappointment is too great, for everyone, to talk about the future,” Mancini said.

    Also through to the play-off finals to join Portugal and North Macedonia are Wales and Sweden.

    Portugal beat Turkey 3-1 in Porto, after Turkey veteran Burak Yilmaz missed a penalty kick for a 2-2 equaliser with six minutes left.

    The hosts got a 15th-minute lead when Otavio slotted home from a tight right angle in his home stadium off Bernardo Silva’s shot against the post.

    Liverpool’s Diogo Jota doubled the lead in the 42nd minute.

    Turkey were back in the game in the 64th minute from Yilmaz’ low shot off Cengiz Ünder’s through ball.

    But Yilmaz then fired an 84th-minute penalty kick over the bar after Enes Ünal was adjudged upon video review to have been hit by José Fonte.

    Matheus Nunes then wrapped up matters on the other end.

    Gareth Bale hardly sees any playing time at Real Madrid but he scored a brace in a 2-1 win over Austria to keep alive Wales’ dream of playing at a first World Cup in 64 years.

    Bale curled a free-kick into the top right corner in the 25th minute in Cardiff and smashed the second into the same place with a diagonal drive six minutes after the restart.

    But they had to sweat it out after Marcel Sabitzer’s shot was deflected by Ben Davis over the diving goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

    Wales will play for a spot in Qatar in June, with their opponents either Scotland or Ukraine whose game was postponed after the Russian invasion.

    Sweden beat the Czech Republic 1-0 in extra time from Robin Quaison to set up a Tuesday date with Poland who advanced by walkover after the suspension of their opponents Russia.

  • Serie A: Napoli biggest threat for Inter Milan – Cassano

    Serie A: Napoli biggest threat for Inter Milan – Cassano

    Former Italy international Antonio Cassano has praised the work of Luciano Spalletti at Napoli.

    Cassano rates Napoli as title contenders.

    He told Bobo TV: “Napoli are the anti-Inter team, since after Christmas they have made little or no mistakes, they have convinced me even more than the Nerazzurri.

    “They’ve had their ups and downs, which are normal, but at the moment as a footballing proposition they’re the one I enjoy watching the most.

    “I think Inter should be afraid of them.”

  • Italy request extradition of Robinho from Brazil over rape conviction

    Italy request extradition of Robinho from Brazil over rape conviction

    Italy is requesting the extradition of former football star Robinho from Brazil.

    The ex-AC Milan winger was sentenced to nine years in prison in Italy for allegedly raping a woman in a discotheque with five other men in 2013.

    Robinho, who won the Copa America in 2007 with Brazil, denies the accusations.

    A final appeal by the footballer was rejected in January and on Tuesday; the Milan prosecutor’s office sent an international arrest warrant and extradition request to the Ministry of Justice in Rome.

    From there, the documents will be forwarded to Brazil, the ANSA news agency reported.

    However, the 38-year-old will probably not have to serve the sentence in Italy, because Brazil is not allowed to extradite him according to its constitution.

    Robinho can only be arrested if he travels abroad and the international arrest warrant would then take effect.

    In October 2020, Robinho wanted to make a comeback with his hometown club Santos, but because of pressure from sponsors and fans due to his conviction, the contract was quickly terminated. He then retired.

  • It is not easy to change Italy to England – Kulusevski

    It is not easy to change Italy to England – Kulusevski

    Tottenham midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is happy after his first weeks in London.

    The Swede joined Spurs from Juventus on deadline day a fortnight ago.

    He told Sky Italia: “It is not easy to change Italy to England, it is a different football here. But I feel good so far and if I feel good off the field, I will perform well on the field.”

    On manager Antonio Conte, Kulusevski added: “The first thing he said was of course welcome, haha. But then he has said that he expects me to contribute to the team’s offensive.

    “I just need to keep working hard and try to contribute what I can.”

  • Why I chose AC Milan and Italy – Giroud

    Why I chose AC Milan and Italy – Giroud

    AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud has no doubts he made the right choice moving to Italy.

    Giroud left Chelsea last summer.

    He said, “Coming into contact with the others was easy for me as I knew a bit of Italian thanks to my grandmother’s origins. I knew a few words and this is important.

    “My integration was also helped by the fact that there are several players who speak French, I found guys I knew and in the end what the coach asks of me on the pitch is not too complicated for me, because I know what he expects from me and what I have to do.

    “It’s more about adapting to the referees who have a tendency to whistle for lighter contacts than they do in the Premier League.”

    Giroud also told Colinterview about joining Milan.

    “I clearly accepted immediately, for me it was a test. I spoke with the manager Massara and Maldini and I immediately realised that they were looking for me and with the speech they gave me I was immediately convinced. I want to win and return to the top in Italy.

  • Mario Balotelli recalled to Italy national team

    Mario Balotelli recalled to Italy national team

    Mario Balotelli has been called up for a three-day Italy training camp and Joao Pedro is among the new faces given the nod by manager Roberto Mancini.

    Balotelli has not played for his country for over three years.

    But the in-form striker was named among 35 players who will assemble for a camp in Coverciano from Wednesday to Friday this week.

    The enigmatic 31-year-old has scored nine goals for Adana Demirspor since joining the Turkish Super Lig side in July, including three in his past four matches.

    Brazil-born duo Joao Pedro and Luiz Felipe are among seven uncapped players brought in by Mancini .

    This has come two months before the European champions face North Macedonia in a World Cup qualifying play-off.

    Marco Carnesecchi, Giorgio Scalvini, Nicolo Fagioli, Davide Frattesi and Samuele Ricci were also called up for the first time.

    The Azzurri do battle with North Macedonia in a play-off semi-final at Stadio Renzo Barbera on March 24.

    If they come out on top in Palermo, Italy will then face Portugal or Turkey knowing a victory will seal their place in the tournament in Qatar this year.

  • Presidential election set for Jan. 24

    Presidential election set for Jan. 24

    Italy’s politicians are to elect a new head of state on Jan. 24.

    The bicameral parliament has been called to a joint session for the election of the president of the republic at 3.00 p.m. (1400 GMT) on that day, the Chamber of Deputies announced in Rome on Tuesday.

    Its president, Roberto Fico, had previously reached an agreement with Senate President, Maria Casellati.

    In Italy, the deputies, senators and representatives of the 20 regions elect the president of the republic.

    To win, a two-thirds majority is needed in the first three rounds of voting.

    In the fourth, an absolute majority is sufficient.

    The election of a successor to the current incumbent, Sergio Mattarella, is eagerly awaited.

    So far, no one has been decided for sure.

    For weeks, the media have been speculating about a candidacy by the incumbent Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

    Others would like to see a woman in the office of the head of state.

    In the right-wing camp, Silvio Berlusconi is repeatedly mentioned as a candidate.

    The president has an important role in Italy, especially in times of crisis.

    Among other things, he can dissolve the parliamentary chambers and appoint ministers.

    Mattarella’s term ends in February after seven years.

  • FG responds to passport supply issue in Italy

    FG responds to passport supply issue in Italy

    The National Union of Nigerian Associations in Italy (NUNAI) says the Federal Government is already responding to its appeal for the supply of passport booklets to the Embassy in Italy.

    NUNAI confirmed this in a video interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, debunking recent media publication that over 1.5 million Nigerians are yet to be issued their passports.

    Frank David, Secretary of NUNAI, who described the recent report as a fallacy, said the total number of Nigerians in Italy are not up to a million.

    David said it is however impossible for over one million Nigerians supposedly living in Italy to be stranded for lack of passport.

    He noted that currently, there are 209,000 Nigerians in Italy, 180,000 are legally documented with 29,000 yet to be documented.

    David said that as much as NUNAI, the umbrella body of all Nigerian Associations in Italy will continue to appeal to the Federal Government for regular Supply of booklets, they also appreciate the intervention so far.

    “The publication by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) which claims that 1.5 million Nigerians in Italy are in need of passport booklets in Italy is a fallacy and we debunk such claims.

    “The population of Nigerians in Italy is not up to one million. And on the issue of passport, yes there are requests for people who need to renew their passports or get fresh passports.

    “But the mission has captured thousands of Nigerians who are having issues with passport in the past months and that is a great deal.

    “There was an intervention about three months ago, especially in my own city, Modena, we were able to capture about 250 people, we went to another city called Pesaro and we were able to capture 138 people.

    “We went to another city which I supervised and they were able to capture over 170 people. So, if you sum all these figures up you will get about a thousand.

    “Be that as it may, there are other cities that need to be covered and that is not to say that they are up to a million. I stand to debunk that any day, any time.

    “NUNAI as it were is the umbrella body of all Associations in Italy which NIDO should be part of, and NUNAI has been working with Embassies long before the existence of NIDO in Italy.

    “I wouldn’t want to speak more in favour or in criticism of NIDO because I do not know their modus of operandi and how they got their information.

    “NUNAI has been in the forefront of issues that concerns Nigerians in Italy, in terms of welfare, in term of documentation, we have been working assiduously in collaboration with Embassies,” David said.

    Mr Mike Oputteh, Welfare Officer of NUNAI, also appreciated the federal government, the Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Mfawa Abam, and the Immigration attache to the Mission for their response.

    Oputteh said that Amb. Abam and the Immigration Attaché to the mission have been working tirelessly to ensure the challenges of scarcity of passports is solved to ameliorate the plight of Nigerians living in Italy.

    “We are all aware of the challenges the Nigeria Immigration Service is experiencing, which is not only affecting Nigerians in Italy but even those living in Abuja.

    “The supply of booklets to Italy is not regular, but there are cases where the Embassy gets 1,000, gets 500, gets 2,000.

    “After we have made a passionate appeal to the two Ministers, the Comptroller General of Immigration, we have started getting supply.

    “Before the Christmas we got supply of about 1,500 because I work closely with the Immigration and they promised to give us more, they are talking of giving us 10,000 booklets to clear the backlog.

    “There is an improvement, and the Immigration and the Nigerian mission is working but more need to be done because Nigerians have to renew their passports and get new ones.

    “I am using this medium to continue to appeal to the Minister of Interior who have been supporting NUNAI, the Foreign Minister, the Comptroller General of Immigration to please continue to supply us booklets.

    “At least if we can be getting regular supply of 2,000 booklets monthly, it will help us clear backlog but for now, we do not have regular supply,” Oputteh said.

  • 1.5 million Nigerians in Italy don’t have passports – NIDOE

    1.5 million Nigerians in Italy don’t have passports – NIDOE

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Europe, Italy Chapter, says about 1.5 million out of its three million registered members in Italy are affected by scarcity of Nigerian passports.

    The chapter’s Chairman, Mr George Omo-Iduhon, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.

    NAN quoted Omo-Iduhon as saying that there are more Nigerians in Italy than in other European countries and the registered Nigerians according to database are three million, apart from the undocumented ones.

    He said, “One of the major problems being faced by Nigerians living in Italy is shortage of Nigerian passports that can help facilitate their movement and work permit.

    “The Nigerian government should help address this problem because Italy serves as the gateway to other countries in Europe, especially for Nigerians.

    “About 1.5 million Nigerians in Italy don’t have passports, even some of those that have been accepted by the Italian government have not been issued Nigerian passports which makes it difficult for them to work.”

    Omo-Iduhon said the supply of 500 booklets of passport to the Nigerian Embassy in Italy was grossly inadequate to serve the number of Nigerians resident in Italy.

    “Using the same sharing formula for all the counties in Europe cannot work in Italy where we have more Nigerians.

    “We are appealing to the relevant government agencies and the Minister for Internal Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola, to help us address this issue,” he said.

    He said the organisation was committed to growing Nigeria’s economy, adding that members must try their best to return home to build Nigeria.

     

  • We let ourselves down in World Cup qualifying – Italy coach

    We let ourselves down in World Cup qualifying – Italy coach

    Italy coach Roberto Mancini admits they weren’t good enough during the World Cup qualifiers.

    The defending European champions now face a playoff to reach Qatar 2022.

    Former Inter Milan coach Mancini told Sky Italia: “We’ve done something extraordinary, we’ve made millions of people happy, that’s the best thing, something we’re all proud of. But the European Championship is behind us, now we have to think about something else.’

    “But this is football, this is sport. Sometimes you deserve to win and you don’t. We deserved to finish the round much earlier. We let ourselves down a bit and now we have to roll up our sleeves and do a great job in the two games.

    “But I remain optimistic, just as I knew that our group with Switzerland would be difficult. I thought we would progress, but I knew it would be difficult. We dominated the match in Basel but this is football, fortunately we still have this chance and we have to do everything we can to go to Qatar.”