Footage from Italian television showed Italian players celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina's qualification, their upcoming opponent in the World Cup playoff final, at the expense of Wales. And this has already given the Bosnians a strong boost.

A first sigh of relief. Italy defeated Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday in the semi-final of the European playoffs for the 2026 World Cup. "We were scared, then we relaxed," said Sandro Tonali, who scored the first goal, after the match. Having passed this first hurdle, Gennaro Gattuso's men still have a crucial match ahead of them to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2014. That match will be on Tuesday (8:45 pm) against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica, in what is expected to be a hostile atmosphere. But this seems to suit some of the Azzurri players better.

"Let's hope this doesn't bring bad luck."

Rai, the famous Italian television network, broadcast footage showing several players, already showered and dressed, watching the end of the match between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1, 2-4 on penalties) on their phones in a lounge at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia in Bergamo. When Kerim Alajbegovic scored the winning penalty, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and defender Federico Dimarco didn't hide their joy, clenching their fists in relief. Sebastiano Esposito also watched the end of the match on his smartphone but remained silent about the outcome.

While the images are open to interpretation and don't explain Vicario and Dimarco's joy, they've caused concern among the Italian media, worried by this over-enthusiasm when nothing is yet decided. This is especially true for a team traumatized by its two consecutive failures in the playoffs for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. "Clearly, they consider the Bosnians more manageable opponents than the Welsh," commented Gazzetta dello Sport. "But, as they say in the United States, 'be careful what you wish for.' Let's hope it doesn't bring bad luck."

"Look at this disrespect and arrogance."

The images were immediately seized upon in Bosnia and Herzgovina as an extra source of motivation before the playoff final in four days. "Look at the disrespect and arrogance of the Italians," fumed the Bosnian Football account in a widely shared message. "They were already celebrating our penalty shootout victory. We're not going to complain in Zenica!"

Corriere dello Sport is rightly concerned about the fallout ahead of the trip to Bosnia. "Gattuso will once again have to do everything he can to make his players understand that the atmosphere will be electric in Bosnia on Tuesday," the newspaper writes. "And that the Azzurri's carefree attitude could well motivate their opponents even more. It's best to be cautious. Perhaps even a little superstitious."