Iran scandal, crazy turning point?
Italy hopes for World Cup participation through loophole
By David Needy
3/31/2022 1:26 p.m
The Italian national team is still licking its wounds after the embarrassing defeat of the World Cup against North Macedonia – suddenly there is hope that they will still take part in the tournament. Reason is a scandal in Iran, which could lead to the World Cup exclusion. What are the real chances for the Azzurri?
All of Italy is staring spellbound at Iran these days. It’s not about the negotiations about the nuclear agreement, but about football. how Italian media report, there is a small hope that the Italian national team could still go to Qatar for the World Cup – namely if the Iranian national team were excluded from the intercontinental tournament.
A few steps back. Italy is playing a good World Cup qualifier and not losing a single game. However, at the end of four wins there are also four draws on the account. And thus only second place in Group C behind Switzerland. That means playoffs. There the proud European champion gets the underdog North Macedonia drawn. Sure thing actually, especially because the Azzurri are allowed to play the “all-or-nothing game” at home. But North Macedonia shocked the Azzurri last week with a 1-0 in injury time, for Italy the bankruptcy means the historic second World Cup in a row.
“We are disappointed, broken, devastated,” said captain Giorgio Chiellini after the embarrassing bankruptcy. The newspaper “Tuttosport” even recognizes a “disaster of biblical proportions”, the “Corriere dello Sport” thinks the Azzurri are “in hell” and wails after the huge disappointment: “Farewell World Cup, farewell EM, farewell everything.” Well, instead of “arrivederci” Italy could still say “benvenuti” at the World Cup in Qatar. Excluding the Iranian national team from the tournament in Qatar would make the blue miracle possible.
Italy as a world ranking successor?
Because shortly after the Italians experienced their “hell” against North Macedonia, Iran, already qualified for the World Cup, will play against Lebanon in the World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. Originally, 2,000 women were allowed to play in the highly religious city of Mashad. However, not a single spectator gets into the stadium, the female fans stand in front of closed gates with their valid tickets until the end of the game. According to eyewitness reports, during the protests that followed, the police even used pepper spray against women.
Shortly thereafter, the events in Iran prompted FIFA to take action. The association in Tehran fears the World Cup exclusion. “We are hearing worrying news from FIFA and AFC,” tweeted FFI Board Member Mehrdad Seraji. In 2019, FIFA had already threatened Iran that the country would risk expulsion if spectators continued to be denied access to the stadium.
As a result, rumors are spreading in Italy that the Azzurri could replace Iran, as if the country is truly excluded another side will have to fill the World Cup groups. However, the chances of this are very slim, because no nation has ever been excluded from a football World Cup. The procedure for this precedent would therefore also not be entirely clear, but FIFA could nominate the country with the highest place in the world rankings. Italy in sixth place would be the potential first mover.
“Tut to false”
However, Iran is not even mentioned at Wednesday’s FIFA Council meeting, nor is it discussed at today’s Congress session on Thursday. Even in Italy itself, hopes of participating in the World Cup are dwindling more and more. “Tutto falso”, everything wrong, writes the “Gazzetta dello Sport”.
The governor of the region where the affected qualifying game took place, Mohsen Davari, has since apologized for the incident, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has instructed his interior minister to investigate the case. This is usually enough for FIFA to issue a word of warning, but then not to act, so that everything continues to run smoothly – for the world football association, of course, not for Iranian women.