Italy national team eliminated: Should all the blame be placed on coach Ventura?

(Baonghean.vn) - It was not until the Azzurri officially stopped before the Swedish team after 2 play-off matches that the former Torino coach was heavily criticized by experts and Italian fans. Since the time Mr. Ventura was chosen to replace coach Conte, he has had to live in the skepticism and disdain of fans of the "land of spaghetti".

1.That said, the first responsibility lies with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in choosing the right person for the national team head coach position. It should be remembered that Coach Conte’s departure plan was announced long before Euro 2016.

The time from when the FIGC received the notice from Coach Conte until the Italian team left France was more than enough for the leaders of the most powerful football agency in the “boot-shaped country” to search for and contact candidates to replace Coach Conte. But somehow, Ventura was “given the seal of authority” so quickly?

The hasty decision of FIGC to choose Ventura has met with strong opposition from experts and fans in the country. Simply, the football of the "land of spaghetti" is not lacking in famous strategists such as Capello, Lippi, Ancelotti, Spaletti, Mancini, Mazzarri, Max Allegri... whose professional level far exceeds that of the relatively unknown coach Ventura.

Coach Ventura is the focus of criticism after the Italian team was eliminated. Photo: Internet

Moreover, the attacking philosophy that coach Ventura often applied at Lecce, Cagliari, Napoli, Torino... is not suitable for the traditional collective, scientific and pragmatic playing style of the Italian national team. The failure of the blue team under Ventura's reign was predicted in advance. Therefore, the FIGC is the first to take responsibility.

2.The next group that also contributed significantly to the Italian team being eliminated in the play-off round were the players. It is true that the squad under coach Ventura is considered to be better than what his predecessor Conte had a year ago. However, the team's discipline under coach Ventura is completely non-existent.

It all started with the controversy surrounding the 69-year-old coach’s relationship with striker Graziano Pelle. Specifically, in the match between Italy and Spain (1-1) on October 6, 2016, when he was substituted off the field, Pelle refused to shake hands with his coach. As a result, Pelle was kicked out of the Italian team and never called back as long as Ventura was in charge.

Italian players expressed disappointment after the 0-0 draw with Sweden. Photo: Internet

With negative criticism from the media and disdain from his players, Coach Ventura appears to be alone in the journey of the Italian team in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Europe. Without the proper respect from the players, the coach's tactics cannot be used in the most effective way.

Just look at the overreaction of veteran De Rossi in the second half of the match against Sweden and you will understand. And if Belotti, Darmian (first leg of the play-off), Immobile, Candreva were more precise in their shots, there would be no way Italy would be eliminated. After all, the coach's tactics only account for a certain percentage of the final result of each team.

Of course, the biggest responsibility still belongs to coach Ventura. As the "leader", the poor performance of the Italian national team comes from the poor tactics and dressing room management of the 69-year-old strategist. There is a saying: "The winner is king, the loser is the bandit", coach Ventura deserves to be the "sinner" of Italian football and he also deserves the harsh criticism of experts in the "boot-shaped country"./.

Thanh Hung