Have you ever thought about Italy qualifying for the World cup this year in place of Iran, on the grounds that the Asian country discriminates against women in football?
The version gained attention in some newspapers in Italy and Germany, but this possibility of a defeat in the Qualifiers is nothing more than a rumor, says FIFA.
“A mini-hope emerges with the European champion”, published the newspaper BILD, from Germany.
Italy was eliminated by weak North Macedonia in the repechage of the European Qualifiers and was left out of the second consecutive World Cup.
Days later, on Tuesday (29), women were banned from entering the stadium to watch Iran x Lebanon, in the Asian Qualifiers.
The version immediately emerged that FIFA would exclude Iran and give the place to the Italians.
“Let's get this idea out of our heads, that Italy can go to the World Cup. It's impossible. Waiting to be invited is a utopia“, said without mincing words the former referee Evelina Christillin, who is an executive on the FIFA Council, to Italian radio Uno.
The possibility of cheating had been raised in Italy because Iran had already been warned by FIFA about discrimination against women in football.
Italy would end up inheriting the place because it was the best ranked team among those eliminated.
“We had a FIFA executive meeting and a congress with all the delegations, including Iran. We never discussed excluding them from the World Cup. And even if it were, the team promoted instead would be from another Asian country”, explained Evelina.
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