Bastoni accepts 'debt to the Italian people' after World Cup agony as Italy rout Turkiye

Alessandro Bastoni has admitted he is 'in debt to the Italian people' after the Azzurri's disastrous failure to qualify for a third straight World Cup, before roaring back to form as Italy thrashed Turkiye 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday.

The Inter Milan defender's confession comes after a turbulent period for Italian football, in which the country became the first former world champions to ever miss three consecutive editions of the tournament. Their qualifying play-off in March ended in heartbreak, losing on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina following a 1-1 draw in Zenica — a tie made far harder to overturn by Bastoni being sent off late in the first half for hacking down Amar Memic, who was racing clear on goal.

Rebuilding after rock bottom

The latest humiliation led to the dismissal of Gennaro Gattuso and, after a lengthy and frustrating recruitment process, the return of Euro 2020-winning coach Roberto Mancini. The new-look Azzurri began their Nations League campaign with a 2-0 defeat to France last week — but responded emphatically against Turkiye, with Bastoni scoring the opening goal as Italy surged into a 3-0 lead within 27 minutes before sealing a 4-1 rout.

Reflecting on the Bosnia-Herzegovina defeat after the victory, Bastoni was candid about the scale of the task ahead:

"It was inevitable that my mind would go back to Zenica. I will be in debt to the Italian people for the next four years. When faced with difficult situations, I have always chosen to emerge with my head held high and take my responsibility. We hit rock bottom in recent years, but we want to get back on our feet. All we ask for is some balance and patience in judging this side, as there are many young players who want to learn."

A first win under Mancini since 2023

The win over Turkiye was Italy's first by three or more goals away from home since November 2019, when they beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0. It also marked their first victory under Mancini in 1,198 days, having last won with him at the Nations League third-place play-off against the Netherlands in June 2023, shortly before he left for Saudi Arabia.

Despite the relief, Bastoni urged calm with a trip to face France coming up on Friday.

"We are still a young team overall, we have quality and we want to prove what we can do. We mustn't get too over-excited now, we had some peaks last year too, and then saw what happened. It is at least good to feel happy every now and then."

For a nation still smarting from three successive World Cup misses, Monday's rout offered the first genuine sign that Mancini's rebuild may be taking hold — even if the defender at its centre knows forgiveness will not come easily.