Italy is in shock after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958.
The Azzurri could do no better than a 0-0 draw against Sweden in Monday's playoff return, so they will not be going to next year's tournament in Russia after losing the first leg 1-0 on Friday.
The press and sports pundits used words such as "apocalypse", "disaster" and "humiliation" to describe the four-time world champions' failure to qualify.