Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy coach on Friday, as the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup sent shockwaves through Italian football.
A World Cup winner in 2006, Gattuso leaves after less than a year in charge, presiding over a team that has slipped behind historic rivals such as France and Spain over the past two decades.
Italy’s elimination came on Tuesday, when they lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in the World Cup qualification play-off final, a defeat that also prompted the resignation of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina. Gravina had initially urged Gattuso to stay after the Zenica loss, but the departures of both Gravina and national team general manager Gianluigi Buffon paved the way for the 48-year-old coach to step down.
Gattuso took over in June last year, following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti, who had overseen a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign and a 3-0 defeat to Erling Haaland’s Norway in Italy’s opening World Cup qualifier.
On paper, Gattuso’s record appears solid: six wins, one draw, and one defeat in eight matches, with 22 goals scored and 10 conceded. However, the draw came in the 1-1 play-off against Bosnia, which Italy subsequently lost on penalties, while the sole defeat was a 4-1 loss to Norway at the San Siro.
Gattuso had long been seen as a surprising choice to replace Spalletti due to an uneven club coaching record, and he faced intense criticism following Italy’s elimination from World Cup contention.
AFP
