For Toronto FC’s resident Italian, Sebastian Giovinco, the Azzurri failing to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup is disastrous.
The four-time world champions, who have been a staple on international soccer’s biggest stage for six decades, will not take part in next summer’s tournament in Russia after falling to Sweden on Monday.
“It’s no good for me and for all Italian people,” Giovinco said.
As for what prompted the team’s failure, Giovinco wouldn’t know. The 30-year-old striker, who has 23 caps for Italy, has not represented the team since October 2015, a few weeks before his first season in Major League Soccer ended.