This is not the time to make judgments, nor to be overwhelmed by pessimism. After the heavy 3-0 defeat in Oslo against Norway in their debut in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, it is Dino Zoff, captain of the 1982 World Cup-winning Italy, who restores balance to the debate. The former Italian goalkeeper does not minimize the defeat, but invites us to look beyond and not lose sight of the final objective: the World Cup.
“It's just the first game of a long journey - he has declared - I wouldn't be so down and pessimistic already. Norway made good use of the counterattack, we kept the ball a lot but were never really dangerous". Zoff recognizes the merits of his opponents, but does not spare some criticism of Italy, underlining how some injuries have weighed on the management and balance of the team.
Norway was a fearsome opponent, this was known, but the Italian collapse left emotional aftermaths that Zoff try to contain with the lucidity of someone who has experienced sport at the highest level: "We definitely have some things to fix, but the players are there to start again. We need an immediate response, and I think that against Moldova we can already see something different."
Article published on 7 June 2025 - 17:19
Vincenzo Scarpa, Journalist for Cronache della Campania and
Political Science student at the University of Naples Federico II.
Passionate about all types of sports, he loves to write and talk mainly about football.
It's a shame that Italy lost so badly, but as Zoff says, it's only the first game. We must remain positive and hope that the team recovers as soon as possible for the next games.