Sweden deny Italy finals place

Play-off: Buffon takes his leave as Azzurri miss out for first time since 1958

Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after being shut out by Sweden last night.

On an emotional night at a sold-out San Siro in Milan a tearful Gianluigi Buffon called time on his 175-cap international career and manager Gian Piero Ventura was reported to have stepped down.

Buffon, who made his Italy debut in October 1997, kept a clean sheet against Sweden but his outfield team-mates failed to score the goals that could have overturned the Scandinavians’ 1-0 advantage in the two-legged European play-off.

The 39-year-old Juventus keeper had already decided to hang up his Azzurri gloves after Russia 2018 and, with that opportunity stripped from him seven months before the tournament, he is taking his leave early.

Despite laying siege to the Swedish defence – which included Celtic’s Mikael Lustig – over 90 feverish minutes, Italy could not make the breakthrough in the goalless draw.

The four-time world champions limped to a second-place finish behind Spain in their group, and with that the ignominy of the two-legged play-off.

The Italians missed a number of chances and had two decent penalty claims waved away as Sweden, who also felt they were denied two spot-kicks for handball last night, reached the finals for the first time since 2006.

Picture: Getty Images. Gianluigi Buffon is consoled at the final whistle by Sweden’s Victor Lindelof.