Ever since taking over the Azzurri in 2018, national team manager Roberto Mancini has successfully turned the tide for an Italy side who was at the time still recovering from the disastrous Gianpiero Ventura reign. The former Manchester City tactician has just found out today the opponents he’ll have to defeat on the road for Qatar 2022, as the World cup qualifiers draw put Italy at the head of Group C.
Thanks to the positive results earned in the last two years – from winning all ten matches in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, to reaching the Semi Finals of the Nations League which will be played next year – Italy have crucially been ranked as one of the ten European group leaders, which prevented a similar scenario to the World Cup 2018 qualifiers draw, when the Azzurri were thrown within the same group with Spain.
This time around, the four time world champions have received a much more favorable draw, with Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania being their Group C opponents.
Result of 2022 World Cup qualifying draw ?
? Which European nation has the toughest group? pic.twitter.com/MnuSZ4WCT7
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) December 7, 2020
The Swiss national team will arguably be Italy’s toughest opponent, led by former Lazio manager Vladimir Petković, and containing several key stars in the likes of former Inter winger Xherdan Shaqiri and Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, while the ever-resilient Northern Ireland team can always be an outside bet.
It should be noted that the ten European national teams who will finish on top of their respective groups will automatically qualify for Qatar 2022, whilst the group runners up – alongside two teams qualified based on their Nations League results – will go through a playoff system which would see three additional European teams qualified to the worldwide festival.
Thus, the Azzurri faithfuls are hoping to put behind their 2018 woes, and enjoy another smooth qualifying campaign for Italy under Roberto Mancini en route to the World Cup 2022.