Italy’s head coach Gennaro Gattuso stated that now is not the appropriate moment to discuss his future, despite the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Although Gattuso has yet to decide whether to continue, the Italian football federation indicated on Tuesday that it would prefer him to stay.
The four-time World Cup champions Italy were eliminated in a penalty shootout by 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina during the European playoffs on Tuesday, after competing for most of the match with a reduced squad.
“I have no interest in discussing my future today,” Gattuso remarked. “It is painful, it truly is. More than affecting me, it pains me to witness this group that has given everything over these months, and I believe we deserved to reap the rewards of our efforts. Honestly, I think it is too simplistic and immature to be discussing my future at this moment.”
“We should be focusing on Italy, on the national team jersey, as this is yet another setback, even though we did not deserve it this time. We deserved more, and that is why my future is irrelevant.”
Italy was previously eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.
Gattuso was appointed last June to succeed the dismissed Luciano Spalletti, with Italy’s World Cup qualifying aspirations already faltering.
He received a contract that extends until the conclusion of this summer’s World Cup, with an automatic extension until 2028 if Italy qualifies for the tournament in North America.
“I must commend Gattuso. I believe he has been an excellent coach; he is a great coach, and I have requested that he continue leading these players,” stated Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian football federation.
However, the question of whether Gravina himself should remain is also under consideration, and he mentioned that he has already scheduled a federation council meeting for next week to assess the situation.
Gravina has overseen two disappointing World Cup qualifying campaigns since taking office in 2018. He succeeded Carlo Tavecchio, who resigned after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Not every coach of Italy has faced consequences for the Azzurri’s inability to qualify for the World Cup.
Gian Piero Ventura was dismissed after Italy’s defeat to Sweden, but his successor, Roberto Mancini, retained his position despite Italy’s unexpected loss to North Macedonia in 2022.
This occurred just eight months after Mancini guided the team to victory in the European Championship, and the federation opted to keep the coach who rejuvenated the national squad.
Mancini unexpectedly resigned just over a year later, subsequently becoming the coach of Saudi Arabia two weeks afterward, and was succeeded by Spalletti.
However, Spalletti, who managed a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, had only one World Cup qualifier in charge before being dismissed, leading to Gattuso’s appointment.
Tuesday’s loss further compounded the difficulties for Italy’s once-celebrated national team, which has won the World Cup four times. The Azzurri are the first World Cup champions to miss qualification for three consecutive tournaments.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
