Poker on the touchline

The World Cup playoff final between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy will be decided not only on the pitch at Bilino Polje in Zenica, but also in the dugouts. On one side is Sergej Barbarez, coaching his first national team job after ending his playing career in 2008. On the other is Gennaro Gattuso, who still has plenty to prove as a manager. So naturally, the buildup has taken on the shape of a poker table, because apparently a football match was too straightforward.

Barbarez set the tone at his press conference when asked about his tactical plan. His answer was as blunt as it was pointed: "If we score the first goal, we'll park the bus on one side. If they score, we'll park it on the other side." The Mostar-born coach was making the point, with a clear dose of irony, that Bosnia intends to play its own game rather than simply react to Italy.

That kind of bluffing is not new for Barbarez. After retiring from football, he actually became a professional poker player and even reached the 19th place at the World Series of Poker. So yes, this is one of those rare cases where the pre-match mind games come with genuine relevant experience.

Gattuso answers in kind

Gattuso picked up the thread a few hours later after arriving in Bosnia. Speaking to the media, he responded directly to Barbarez's bus remark: "Their coach, who is a great poker player, talked about buses... but they do not just park buses; they respect their opponents, but they know how to be dangerous."

The exchange fits a match that is expected to be tense but also played in a spirit of respect. Bosnia and Italy share a long football history, and the Italians were the first national team to travel to Bosnia for a friendly after the country’s independence, back in 1996. That historical detail has not stopped the buildup from producing a fair amount of static.

A noisy buildup for a match that should be about football

In the last few days, the match has already generated its share of side stories. There was the viral clip involving Dimarco and Vicario reacting to Bosnia's qualification, the episode involving an Italian "spy" in Butmir, and the complaints from sections of the Italian press about the modest size of the stadium in Zenica.

Put together, it has all the ingredients of a proper poker hand: a little bluffing, a few tells, and both sides convinced they hold something stronger than they are letting on.

Probable lineups

Bosnia (4-4-2): Vasilj; Dedic, Katic, Muharemovic, Kolasinac; Memic, Sunjic, Tahirovic, Alajbegovic; Demirovic, Dzeko.

Italy (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui.