Andrea D’Amico, the agent representing Domenico Criscito and Sebastian Giovinco, complains they were “ignored” by the Italy squad.

The Azzurri lost a World Cup play-off 1-0 to Sweden, failing to reach the tournament for the first time since 1958.

“This is a sad day for sport in Italy,” D’Amico told TMW Radio.

“Obviously most of the blame goes to the Coach, but in reality it’s a bigger issue. Whenever there is a World Cup at stake, you naturally think of a Coach who has the right experienced.

Andrea D’Amico, the agent representing Domenico Criscito and Sebastian Giovinco, complains they were “ignored” by the Italy squad.

The Azzurri lost a World Cup play-off 1-0 to Sweden, failing to reach the tournament for the first time since 1958.

“This is a sad day for sport in Italy,” D’Amico told TMW Radio.

“Obviously most of the blame goes to the Coach, but in reality it’s a bigger issue. Whenever there is a World Cup at stake, you naturally think of a Coach who has the right experienced.

“At the same time, he ought to count on staff all over the world capable of keeping a close eye on all those Italian players who are abroad.

“In my view, this was a disaster everyone saw coming. If you look at Ventura’s profile, you don’t see big victories or titles. When you hand the Nazionale to a Coach, he isn’t just dealing with a team, but with the entire sporting movement that goes beyond the realm of football.

“I never heard from Ventura. After Criscito’s fine performances for Zenit, he was called to Turin (for the World Cup qualifier against Spain) and then sent to the stands. Giovinco never even got a call, he was completely ignored.

“It’s possible that he doesn’t get called, but the fact remains nobody even went to watch Giovinco play for Toronto FC. I found that incredible. Ventura just called the players he already knew well.

“At times, it really did seem like a Nazionale of reserves. In a head-to-head showdown for the World Cup, you can’t field players who don’t even play consistently for their clubs. Complaining after the final whistle is futile.”

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