Italy bounced from World Cup qualifiers
Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades after losing its playoff to Sweden 1-0 on aggregate. They played to a goalless draw in a quiet San Siro stadium in Milan on Monday. It could have been worse for Italy, as Sweden was denied what looked like two clear-cut penalties for handballs, first from Matteo Darmian and then from Andrea Barzagli. The last major competitions Italy missed were the 1984 and 1992 European Championships.