Italy's legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon struggled to fight back tears but remained positive about the future as he tried to come to terms with Italy's failure to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
Italy's 0-0 draw against Sweden at Milan's San Siro ensured there would be no Squadra Azzurra in Russia next summer, and no record sixth World Cup for Buffon.
The four-time champions had been present at every World Cup since 1958 -- and Buffon himself since 1998 -- and the 39-year-old's retirement from international football was made prematurely on Monday night.
"I'm sorry -- and not just for me, but for everybody involved," Buffon told RAI. "We've failed something which could have been big also on a social level and this is my only disappointment.
"I'm sorry that my final game coincided with us not qualifying for the World Cup."
Buffon felt that luck had not gone Italy's way, but he said that they could have no excuses.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game and in the end, it was decided on an incident. They got the breaks and we didn't, but when things don't go your way, then you probably also have some blame too."
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