Italy midfielder Jorginho says he will be "haunted for life" by the penalty misses that ultimately led his nation to defeat in the World Cup play-offs against North Macedonia.
The Azzurri were stunned by their opponents on Thursday night in a smash-and-grab after Alexander Trajkovski scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for North Macedonia. It clinched what is likely to be their most important win in their history and they are now just one game away from their first-ever World Cup.
Italy had been one of the favourites to qualify for the first time since their woeful group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. But despite remaining unbeaten, Roberto Mancini’s side fell short, drawing four of their eight games and finishing behind Switzerland.
They drew both matches against their Swiss neighbours, with a 1-1 draw at home and goalless stalemate in Zurich. Jorginho missed crucial penalties in both matches and it is no surprise then that the Chelsea midfielder feels culpable for contributing to their exit.
“It hurts when I think about it, because I do still think about it and it will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he told RAI Sport, via Football Italia. “Stepping up there twice and not being able to help your team and your country is something that I will carry with me forever, and it weighs on me. People say we need to lift our heads and carry on, but it’s tough.”
Italy had 30 attempts on goal against North Macedonia as they dominated proceedings but could not find a way past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. And they paid the price for their profligacy when two minutes into stoppage time, Trajkovski popped up with an incredible winner to send the visitors into raptures.
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For Jorginho, 30, it may have been his last chance to play at a World Cup. And the Italy star struggled to comprehend how they didn’t win the game as Italy were left to reflect on their glaring missed opportunities.
“It is difficult to explain what happened. It hurts so much,” he added. "I’ll be honest, I am still incredulous. I don’t think we lacked creativity, as we always dominated matches and created so many chances. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish them off.
“We played good football, we won the European Championship last summer, but unfortunately in the last few games we made small errors and were unable to recover from them. They made the difference.”
Mancini refused to discuss his future after the defeat, admitting it is “too early” to decide whether he will continue in his role. The 57-year-old guided Italy to their Euro 2020 triumph, but surviving such a damaging defeat will be difficult.
“We will see. I think everyone is too disappointed right now to talk about the future,” he said. “I have to say, I care more for my lads now than I did in July.
"This is such a tough moment, my affection for them is immense. It’s too early to say what happens next, as there is such disappointment, but at the same time this is a squad of great players with a bright future.”
