Paolo Zampolli is the man who has turned the sports desks, and not only them, of Italian newspapers upside down this morning. This "high-ranking envoy of President Donald Trump to Italy," as Repubblica calls him, has asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup in the United States. "I confirm that I suggested to Trump and Infantino (FIFA president) that Italy replace Iran in the World Cup. I am Italian by birth, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri in a tournament hosted in the United States. With four titles, they have the tradition to justify their inclusion," Zampolli told the Financial Times. Behind the scenes, a sort of maneuver to bring the United States closer to Italy, after the long-distance skirmishes of recent days.

This diplomatic, but also commercial and sporting, operation could dramatically lead Italian football—currently without a president or coach—back to a tournament for which it failed to qualify on the pitch. This follows an official statement from the Iranian Football Federation, which declared its readiness to compete in the World Cup, scheduled for June 11th to July 19th. "Let's pack our bags, Beppe," surprises never end in football.

Enrico Pilia