A former Italian world champion believes that Spalletti’s selection is varnished for having escaped with a draw against Ukraine.
Former Squadra Azzurra great Beppe Bergomi admitted Italy escaped a penalty against Ukraine on Monday night.
Italy breathes a big sigh of relief
The 0-0 draw was enough for Italy to qualify for Euro 2024, but things could have been different had Bryan Cristante been found guilty of fouling Ukraine winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Bergomi told Sky Italia: “The contact is there on Mudryk. The referee never called a foul on the player throughout the match, especially because of the way he was falling. It certainly took a toll, but I said to myself that if that had happened to us, I don’t know how we would have reacted.”
Bergomi then remembered all the times his country had been robbed in a big tournament. “If I think back to the past, the 2002 World Cup in particular, I tell myself that it balances out. But if the roles were reversed, what would we have said? The contact is there, there is not much to add.”
