I for one (Italian background) am happy about it. For decades the team has been full of themselves and focusing more on fake leg injuries than actually playing the game properly. I hope this is a lesson to the management and the team to get their stuff together!
I had the day off yesterday and was bored so I watched the game. I was genuinely shocked that Italy did not make it, but they have been acting like the US team lately with being over confident. Sometimes a loss like that is the best thing for a program.
Really a shock. I'm mostly sorry for Mr. Buffon. Great gentlemen and a sportsman. This should be his last WC. That said we about demolished the Greeks and are about to go.