“The disappointment is enormous, but this National Team can have a bright future.” On an incredibly difficult evening, Roberto Mancini tried to look ahead, without, however, forgetting the joy of the European Championship triumph eight months ago: “On a human level, I care for more for the lads now at this difficult time than in July,” said the Head Coach. “The victory at the Euros was the best thing to happen to me in my professional career. This is my biggest disappointment. In football, incredible things happen, and this was the case this evening. We did everything to try to win.”

Despite going through the group stage unbeaten, Italy were forced down the play-off route after paying the price for two missed penalties against Switzerland and only drawing at home to Bulgaria. “Our triumph at the Euros was fully deserved. But then some of the fortune we had in the tournament transformed into total and complete bad luck. It almost feels like conceding a last-minute goal was fitting. This is a team with great players, and I really feel for them. As for my future, a bit of time needs to go by first.”

From FIGC President Gabriele Gravina to captain Giorgio Chiellini, the whole Azzurri family hope that Mancini stays on: “I hope he remains with us, quickly shakes off this elimination and finds new energy,” said Gravina, who spoke at the post-match press conference alongside the Head Coach. The President continued: “I still have energy and will put it at the disposal of the world of football. I’m very disappointed and really sad for all our fans. The great joy of last summer remains, but this unexpected elimination is really painful. The defeat this evening makes us understand that something needs to be done in Italian football. For example, let’s start by figuring out what we can do for the many youngsters who don’t get opportunities across our leagues and how we can fill this gap.”

Gravina also wanted to thank those who turned out to watch the game: “Palermo was extraordinary, absolutely exceptional. I hadn’t seen what we saw as we arrived at the stadium for years. We’ll return soon; it’s a city that fully deserved to host the National Team. The affection they showed the players was priceless.”

Giorgio Chiellini also spoke. He was on the pitch for less than five minutes, during which Trajkovski scored the winner. The Azzurri captain, who is making his way back from injury, had to grit his teeth to be involved, and he rallied around his Head Coach and teammates: “It’s hard to explain, we’re really disappointed. We played well but were missing a goal. We weren’t presumptuous but were missing something. Since September we’ve made mistakes and paid the price for them. I’m proud of my teammates. We’re devastated and heartbroken, but we need to bounce back. It’s difficult to speak right now. A large void is within us, and I hope it can give us strength going forward. I hope the coach remains because he is crucial for this National Team. Now, we need to get back to winning ways, make it to the Euros and qualify for the World Cup in four years’ time. It’s not the right moment to talk about whether I’ve just played my last Italy game.”

Marco Verratti is also struggling to digest what has just happened. Four years ago, he was suspended for the return leg against Sweden. This evening, he was one of the best players on the pitch, but he wasn’t able to stop Italy from missing out on their second consecutive World Cup. “It’s a tough one to take, the disappointment is immense. We dominated a match that we were obligated to win. We needed to score and kill the game early on because we were the superior side. But this is football, and conceding two minutes from the end was the biggest nightmare imaginable. We’re all very sad because, given the team we have, we certainly could have had our say at the World Cup. Instead, we’re talking about a disaster. I’ll always remain proud of my teammates. Everyone gave their all, but it wasn’t enough tonight.”