Del Piero: Italy's World Cup absence is shameful, but Croatia can surprise again

Italian football icon Alessandro Del Piero, a World Cup winner in 2006 and now a popular television personality, spoke at the Sunset Sports Festival in Zadar, Croatia. He addressed Italy's surprising absence from the current World Cup with a mix of embarrassment and a call for resilience.

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We are pretty ashamed. It's a strange feeling, thinking about the past. But instead of looking back and talking about how good we were, we must move forward and deal with the situation we are in now, which nobody wants to see.

"We are pretty ashamed," Del Piero admitted regarding Italy's third consecutive World Cup miss. "It's a strange feeling, thinking about the past. But instead of looking back and talking about how good we were, we must move forward and deal with the situation we are in now, which nobody wants to see."

He drew parallels to Italy's difficult path to winning the Euro 2020 championship, suggesting that challenging circumstances can sometimes spur unexpected success. "When I remember 2006, we were in a very difficult situation. I hope we are on that track – to emerge better from a difficult situation," he stated.

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When I remember 2006, we were in a very difficult situation. I hope we are on that track – to emerge better from a difficult situation.

When asked about Croatia's prospects, Del Piero expressed admiration for their past performance, particularly reaching the World Cup final. "For me, it's a question mark, not because I don't believe in the team's quality, but because they have already reached the final when nobody expected it," he said. "This country, this team, and this federation have already achieved incredible results considering the size of the country and the size of the players. It's incredible what they are doing. They have the strength to surprise the world again."

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For me, it's a question mark, not because I don't believe in the team's quality, but because they have already reached the final when nobody expected it.

Del Piero also reserved special praise for Croatian captain Luka Modrić. "He's brilliant. His career, longevity. I adore his personality, his character, not just his play on the field," Del Piero remarked. "The message he sends to the world is beautiful. When you see Luka, you don't see a fast, strong, tall player. You see a player with a football brain, how to adapt to modern football and how to find a way... Football is essentially about finding a way to beat your opponent, and he brings a lot in that regard with his football intelligence."

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This country, this team, and this federation have already achieved incredible results considering the size of the country and the size of the players. It's incredible what they are doing. They have the strength to surprise the world again.