The Italian Football Federation announced that coach Gennaro Gattuso will no longer lead the national team. The announcement was confirmed this Friday (3) and comes as a consequence of the elimination in the European playoff of the 2026 World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thus, the four-time world champion was left out of her third consecutive World Cup.
According to FIGC, the termination with the coach was a decision taken by mutual agreement.
By note, the Federation explained the coach’s departure. “The federation thanked Gattuso and his committee for the seriousness, dedication and passion shown in the last nine months, wishing him success in continuing his career”, says the statement.
“With pain in my heart, for not having achieved the objective we had set, I consider my experience in command of the National Team to be over,” declared Gattuso. “The Azzurri shirt is the most precious asset in football, so it is right to facilitate future technical evaluations now. It was an honor to lead the team, even more so with a group that demonstrated commitment and identification with the shirt. But the biggest thanks go to the fans, to all the Italians who, in these months, never stopped supporting the Seleção. Always with blue in their hearts”, he said Gattuso on the same note.
and the former goalkeeper, then president of the federation and head of delegation, respectively, also resigned from their positions this Thursday (2).
Check out what Buffon said
“Tendering my resignation a minute after the end of the match against Bosnia was an impulsive act, which came from the depths of my soul. As spontaneous as the tears and the pain I feel in my heart, a pain that I know I share with all of you.
I was asked to wait so everyone could reflect properly. Now that President Gravina has decided to resign, I feel free to do what I consider the responsible thing to do. (…) The main objective was to take Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn’t achieve that.”
Read the note about Gattuso in full
Gattuso says goodbye: “It was an honor to lead the team”
Contract between the coach and the Italian team was terminated by mutual agreement. Gravina stated: “In just a few months, he managed to return the enthusiasm around the team, transmitting to the players and the entire country great pride in the blue shirt.”
The Italian Football Federation and Gennaro Ivan Gattuso terminated, by mutual agreement, the contract that linked the Calabrian coach to command of the Italian national team. The federation thanked Gattuso and his committee for the seriousness, dedication and passion shown in the last nine months, wishing him success in continuing his career.
“With pain in my heart, for not having achieved the objective we had set, I consider my experience in command of the National Team to be over,” declared Gattuso. “The Azzurri shirt is the most precious asset in football, so it is right to facilitate future technical evaluations now. I thank president Gabriele Gravina and Gianluigi Buffon, as well as all the federation’s collaborators, for their trust and support. It was an honor to lead the team, even more so with a group that demonstrated commitment and identification with the shirt. But the greatest thanks goes to the fans, to all the Italians who, in these months, never stopped supporting the Seleção. Always with blue in their hearts.”
“I want to thank Gattuso again,” said Gravina. “In addition to being a special person, as a coach he made a valuable contribution, managing to restore enthusiasm to the national team in just a few months. He conveyed great pride in the Azzurri shirt to the players and the entire country.”
Who’s coming?
According to the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy began reconstruction work after missing out on the third straight World Cup. But one of the first steps towards a new era is finding a coach.
Gennaro Gattuso, current coach, should not remain after the elimination in the playoffs against Bosnia, and Pep Guardiola, commander of Manchester City, is the Italians’ big dream. The Spanish coach is considered a , but would arrive with support from all sectors of the country.
To have Guardiola, the task will not be easy. He has a contract with the blue club from Manchester until 2027, and to take over Italy, he would need to give up his position this year.
If Guardiola’s dream does not go ahead, the Italian Federation is working with three other names considered more accessible:
- Roberto Mancini, Euro 2020 champion with Italy
- Antonio Conte, from Naples
- Massimiliano Alegri, of Milan
Even though signing one of these is easier, it could represent the continuation of a model that resulted in the Azzurri’s recent failures to qualify for the World Cup.
Sequence
After , Italy will only return to the field on September 25th, when they will face Belgium in the Uefa Nations League.
