Roberto Mancini could resign after Italy failed to reach the World Cup again
(Picture: AP)Italy manager Roberto Mancini is unsure over his future after the European champions failed to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.
The Azzurri were stunned by a 92nd-minute North Macedonia goal last night as the side currently ranked 67th in the world dumped the four-time World Cup winners out of qualification in Palermo.
Italy had dominated possession and amassed 32 shots throughout the game but were left floored by Aleksandar Trajkovski's superb finish into the far corner in added time.
That latest failure means Italy will have at least a 12-year absence from the World Cup, having last qualified in 2014 when they failed to make it out of their group alongside England in Brazil.
Mancini signed a new four-year deal following the triumph in the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley, when his side beat England on penalties.
However, the former Manchester City boss is uncertain of his future and reports in Italy claim that World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro could be next in line should Mancini resign.
"We will see. Now I feel too disappointed to speak about my future, we will see," Mancini told Rai Sport post-match.
“I’m sure this team has a great future. I’m supporting these players now more than ever.
"It is difficult to comment on this match, with a goal that arrived after the 90th minute without conceding anything else.
"This is a group with great players and I'm sorry because we didn't deserve it. Now it is too early to talk about the future, we still have to digest this defeat.
"On a human level, I can say that I love these lads more tonight than after the triumph in July. The disappointment is enormous."
The 57-year-old added: "I think that if last July was the best thing I had professionally, I think this is the biggest disappointment."
Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport questioned whether a resignation was imminent after declaring Mancini was “destroyed”, while Corriere dello Sport carried the headline “To Hell” and Tuttosport simply screamed: “NOOOOOOOO!”
