In recent days, a proposal that was put forth in the United States provoked a strong response from Italian sports leaders, reintroducing World Cup qualification to the forefront of the conversation. It all started with a request offered by Paolo Zampolli, US President Donald Trump's ambassador, that FIFA consider re-admitting the Italian national team to the upcoming World Cup instead of Iran. The concept of removing a previously qualified team in favor of the Italy national soccer team caused significant alarm and controversy in Italy. Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, responded with a firm denial of the possibility of such an arrangement occurring on the margins of an event in Rome: "I am of the opinion that it is not feasible; secondly, I would be offended. You have to earn it to go to the World Cup", he said, emphasizing the concept that participation in international games should be purely dependent on on-field performance. Minister of Sport Andrea Abodi, speaking at an institutional event in the Quirinale Palace, reiterated the idea. According to Abodi, Italy's "repechage" is both inappropriate and impracticable under FIFA standards. "It's not appropriate; qualification is achieved on the field", he said, underlining that any involvement outside of the established athletic process would be antithetical to the spirit of international competition.