"I'm blinded by the World Cup, so I even solved the military."" Italy roars at Bosnian training site 'Malka Spy' "Peek Tactics in Military Uniforms"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Italian national soccer team has been embroiled in allegations that it has sent a soldier to a training ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a spy.

Britain's "The Sun" reported on the 30th (local time) that "Italy has sent soldiers from its own country to spy on the training of the Bosnian national team competing for the World Cup finals."

According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday at a base camp in Butmir, Bosnia. An Italian soldier from the European Union Army (EUFOR) stationed in Bosnia was seen filming a training session for the Bosnian national team. Initially, the training was open to the public for only the first 15 minutes, but the soldier did not leave for a long time even after the closed-door conversion, drawing doubts from Bosnian staff.

Bosnia's "Sport Sport" criticized this as a direct attempt by Italian national team coach Gennaro Gattuso to steal tactics ahead of the showdown with Bosnia. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the Bosnian Football Association reportedly submitted an official complaint to the EUFOR in the country about the soldier's actions.

On the other hand, Italy's "Sport Media Set" drew the line, saying there was no evidence that the soldier was related to the Italian national team, and that he was simply a fan watching the training.

This is the second time Bosnia has raised suspicions of an opponent's "sabotage (intentional obstruction)" during the World Cup playoffs. Bosnia won the semi-final against Wales under coach Craig Bellamy after a penalty shootout on the 27th, with another Welsh coach claiming before the match that he was trying to shake his team.

Bosnian coach Sergei Barvarez publicly complained that Welsh coach Steve Cooper intentionally kept key Bosnian player Benjamin Tahirovich out for 39 days to create a favorable situation for Wales.

Coach Barvarez said, "It was hard to believe when I heard from Tahirovich that his team coach said, 'I wish you good luck personally, but I will not wish you good luck on the national team,'" adding, "These days, things tend to be handled according to where you come from, but I prefer pure competition. With this, Tahirovich's motivation will be stronger than ever," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Italy and Bosnia will play the 2026 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup European Playoff Pass A final at the Villino Pule Stadium in Zenica, Bosnia, on April 1.

The showdown, which will be held amid the spy controversy, is an irreversible one-off match for both teams. In particular, Italy will return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years if it avoids an unexpected defeat in Bosnia.

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*This content was translated by AI.