Italy broke English hearts last July as they won the European Championship final but after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second straight tournament they have left fans thinking their Wembley triumph was a flash in the pan.
For a country who have won the World Cup four times, Italy's recent record is a national embarrassment.
Since lifting their fourth World Cup trophy in 2006, they have not played a knockout game in the showpiece event, having only won one group stage match at the finals in that time. Their recent World Cup record is even more distressing.