“They picked their rivals”: Di Marco and Vicario spark Azzurra row | OneFootball

Italy’s qualification for the final round of the European playoff on the road to the 2026 World Cup produced an image that quickly stirred controversy. After beating Northern Ireland 2-0, the players followed live the decider between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Wales, which ended with a Bosnian victory on penalties. What came next was what sparked the controversy.

While still in camp, cameras captured the moment when Federico Dimarco and Guglielmo Vicario reacted with obvious joy upon learning that their opponent would be Bosnia and not Wales, a team that beforehand had seemed like the tougher challenge.

Far from being an easy opponent, Bosnia arrived by the narrowest of margins but with plenty of character. The team led by Edin Džeko equalized late against Wales in Cardiff and then won 4-2 in the penalty shootout, keeping its World Cup dream alive.

Meanwhile, in Italy, the scene prompted phrases that summed up the mood: “they celebrated before playing”, “they picked their opponent” and “careful, Bosnia won’t be easy”, comments that began circulating after the video was shared.

Now, with the matchup confirmed, the Azzurra will have to back up on the pitch that reaction which did not go unnoticed. The clash against Bosnia will be played on Tuesday, March 31 in Zenica and will decide one of the last spots at the World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.