Heartbroken Italians prepare for World Cup without Azzurri

For the first time since 1958, football-mad Italy will follow a World Cup finals from the sidelines without their national team.

Four-time winners Italy have been in chaos since their shock elimination in the play-offs last November to Sweden.

But on a club level Italy have had a good season, with Roma reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and Juventus the quarter-finals, with Lazio going as far as the Europa League last eight.

In Serie A, there was a gripping battle until the end for the title with Juventus securing a seventh Scudetto in succession on Sunday.

But as the season draws to a close, Italy will be braced for a sad run up to a World Cup from June 14 to July 15 in which they will have no role.

Over the next four weeks, while the world of football will be buzzing with news of pre-tournament friendlies, team selections and training camps, Italy will be just a sparring partner, playing pre-tournament warm-ups against France and Saudi Arabia.

"I'm going to regret it all my life," said heartbroken goalkeeping star Gianluigi Buffon.

"We've deprived children of having a heart which beats for the World Cup."
On football pitches in Rome and throughout the peninsula, Italian children now say they want to support Argentina, "because (Juventus's Paulo) Dybala is so strong," or Belgium, "where Roma's (Radja) Nainggolan plays."
- 'Tough to watch' -
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"People in Italy are very attached to football and they will still follow it. But it might be tough to watch a little-known side play while our team, which has carved its name into footballing history with four World Cup titles, stays at home."
"We need to believe the national side can return to among the best in the world."