Italy, whose failure to qualify sparked outrage at home, should be granted the Islamic Republic’s spot, a special envoy has claimed
A US special envoy is pressuring FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the three North American nations.
Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third successive time after a humiliating loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff, triggering widespread backlash at home and leading to the resignation of the head of the national football federation.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American who heads the Office of Global Partnerships at the US State Department, told Corriere della Sera he wanted “to assure Italians that I will do everything possible to welcome them with open arms to the World Cup in the United States” by pushing for them to replace Iran. His lobbying efforts were first reported by the Financial Times. Zampolli argues that “Italy, not Iran, should go to the World Cup” and says he would be disappointed if he couldn’t see Italian players “on home soil.”
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