The suggestion that Iran should be replaced by Italy at this year’s World Cup generated a mixture of embarrassment and apathy among Azzurri fans on Thursday (23), with Italian media reminding readers that the idea sounds all too familiar.
Paolo Zampolli, Donald Trump’s special envoy for the United States, told the Financial Times that he made the suggestion to the American president and the president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino.
“I’m Italian by birth and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri in a US-based tournament. With four titles, they have the track record to justify inclusion,” said Zampolli, an Italian-American who is Trump’s “Global Partnership” envoy but has no official connection to the World Cup or Italian football.
The plan appears to be an effort to repair relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks on Pope Leo 14 over the war with Iran.
Italy’s main sports news sites gave only brief mention to the story.
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi told Italian news agency LaPresse: “Firstly, it is not possible; secondly, it is not appropriate… Classification is achieved on the field.”
Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti went further, saying the idea was “shameful”.
Renowned Italian coach Gianni De Biasi told Reuters it was an unlikely proposition as any theoretical absence for Iran would logically be filled by the team behind them in the qualifying group.
“Furthermore, I believe that Italy does not need Trump’s support on an issue like this. I think we can manage on our own,” he said.
FIFA, world football’s governing body, responded by pointing to Infantino’s previous comments about Iran’s participation.
“The Iranian team will come, for sure,” he said at the CNBC Invest in America Forum last week: “Iran has to come if it wants to represent its people. They really want to play, and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics.”
Italy out of third consecutive World Cup
The White House, the Italian Football Federation and the Asian Football Confederation did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
There is currently no indication that Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament, which Italy missed out on after losing in a play-off for the third consecutive World Cup.
Iran qualified for its fourth straight World Cup last year, but after the outbreak of war, it requested that FIFA move the US team’s three group matches to Mexico — which was rejected.
Iran is apparently proceeding as planned. “We are preparing and making arrangements for the World Cup, but we are obedient to the authorities’ decisions,” Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj told reporters at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Wednesday.
“For now, the decision is that the national team is fully prepared for the World Cup.”
Four years ago, Zampolli, when he was ambassador to the United Nations, wrote to Infantino saying that “the world demands” that he declassify Iran due to the country’s record of human rights violations and replace it with Italy.
The request was ignored, and Iran participated and was eliminated after the group stage, having lost to England and the United States and beaten Wales.
In the seemingly unlikely scenario of Iran being excluded from this year’s tournament, the decision on who would replace them is in the hands of FIFA, which, according to article six of the World Cup regulations, has the freedom to call up any nation it chooses to fill the vacancy.
The AFC would be expected to lobby hard for the replacement to come from Asia, with the United Arab Emirates, who lost a qualifying play-off to Iraq last November, the obvious choice.
The World Cup, which is also being co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, begins on June 11, with Iran scheduled to begin their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles four days later.
