Former Juventus GM Luciano Moggi felt Italy lost their World Cup playoff against Sweden at the selection table.
Moggi has long questioned Giampiero Ventura's position as Azzurri coach.
He told TMW Radio: "He was wrong to do experiments. It was a game where experiments could not be risked.
"You cannot play with two equally physical strikers against Swedish defenders. It was enough to put (Lorenzo) Insigne on the one hand, (Stephan) El Shaarawy on the other and a striker.
"In the second half then nothing was understood."
On Ventura, Moggi added: "It is ingenious to criticize him now. I have criticized him since he came to the national team."