Pio Esposito ‘felt crushed’ after Italy penalty miss and wants to ‘improve’ his English
Pio Esposito ‘felt crushed’ after Italy penalty miss and wants to ‘improve’ his English Inter talent Francesco Pio Esposito felt ‘crushed’ after missing a penalty kick for Italy in the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina: ‘I was staring at a fixed point and couldn’t understand what had happened. ’ Italy international Pio Esposito spoke for the first time about the Azzurri’s World Cup play-off elimination in an interview with Corriere della Sera . The 20-year-old was the first one to show up from the spot in the penalty shootout, but sent his shot over the crossbar.
“I struggled to process the disappointment right away. I was staring at a fixed point and couldn’t understand what had happened. I felt crushed,” he said.
“The first thought was that I had let down my teammates, the people at home, friends and family. I’ll take penalties again, I’ll score some and miss some. That day, I was convinced I’d take the responsibility of going first.
I felt confident, but then it went badly. “I saw a team that gave everything, for the most part, down to ten men, creating several chances,” he continued. “It wasn’t enough, and it’s not enough.
Italy has the obligation to qualify for the World Cup, and we have to take responsibility. ” ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Francesco Pio Esposito of Italy shows reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images) Pio Esposito, a product of the Inter academy, has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions this season, his first one in Serie A.