Three straight World Cup absences! Italian players break down and cry; their pre-match celebration got mocked/“slapped in the face”—Huang Jianxiang makes a sarcastic remark

Ask AI · What changes in Italian soccer are reflected in Huang Jianxiang’s outburst?

In the World Cup qualifier European play-off Group A final that ended in Beijing time on April 1, Italy, who played with ten men, lost 1-4 in the penalty shootout, and with a total score of 2-5 they were beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina, a stunning upset that marked a third consecutive World Cup absence.

Once the outcome of the penalty shootout was decided, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s players went on a frenzy of celebration, while Italian players were either left standing on the pitch or, with helplessness, sat down on the ground, shedding tears of unwillingness. Pio-Esposito, who missed the penalty, collapsed on the field and broke down in tears.

Ironically, in the play-off semifinal, after Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Wales on penalties, Italian players had been seen celebrating happily. They were celebrating the fact that the final would avoid Wales; yet facing a Bosnia and Herzegovina side with weaker实力, Italy still ended up being “slapped in the face” again. They were eliminated by the Bosnia and Herzegovina team they had been celebrating against, missing the World Cup for a third straight time.

After Italy were knocked out, TV commentator Huang Jianxiang also fell apart on social media right away, lamenting: “This is the joke that’s most unlike a joke today.”

Clearly, Huang Jianxiang had stayed up late to watch the match of his beloved Italy, but this time the Azzurri squad disappointed him once again—another four years wasted.

As a former CCTV commentator, Huang Jianxiang previously, during his coverage of the 2006 Germany World Cup match in which Italy eliminated Australia, celebrated Italy’s penalty shootout winner in an unhinged roar. The line “the great left back” has been circulated ever since that moment. Who would have thought that the 2006 World Cup champion would end up being Italy’s final peak.

If Italy missing the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 could be understood because there were only 32 slots and they were competing in a fiercely contested European region, then this time, with the World Cup expanded to 48 slots, Italy still can’t make it—it really doesn’t add up.

In fact, it’s not just the World Cup: all Italian Serie A teams are already out of the UEFA Champions League after the group stage, with none reaching the Round of 8. So it can be said that Italian soccer has slid into an unprecedented low point.