Bosnia and Herzegovina have accused an Italian soldier of spying on their training session ahead of Tuesday's World Cup play-off clash with Italy. The incident occurred on Sunday as the Bosnian team prepared at their training ground in Butmir.
A EUFOR soldier, believed to be Italian, was spotted filming the session. While filming was permitted for the first 15 minutes open to the public, the soldier allegedly remained beyond that time when training typically intensifies. The EUFOR base is adjacent to the pitch, and the soldier is thought to be from the Italian Carabinieri stationed there.
There is no evidence linking the figure to the Italian national team, and it has been suggested he may simply have been observing the training rather than engaging in espionage. Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, speaking at a press conference, focused on the pressure of the match rather than the controversy.
Donnarumma described the fixture as one of the most important of his career, saying, 'We need to give 100% because then, when you’re at your best, your conscience is clear.' The four-time World Cup winners have missed the last two tournaments despite winning Euro 2020.
