Gennaro Gattuso has mutually parted ways with his role as Italy‘s head coach, expressing his sadness just three days after the national team’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive men’s World Cup.
The Azzurri suffered a heartbreaking defeat in a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina during Tuesday’s playoff final in Zenica, which led to the resignation of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina and delegation head Gianluigi Buffon the following day.
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Gattuso, aged 48, decided to step down on Friday, taking responsibility for Italy finishing second in their qualifying group, six points behind Norway. Although they had a successful first playoff round against Northern Ireland, they fell short in the decisive match against Bosnia.
The ex-coach of Valencia, Marseille, and Hajduk Split, had been contracted through the end of this summer’s World Cup, with a clause for automatic renewal until 2028 should Italy qualify for the tournament.
“It is with a heavy heart that I conclude my time as national team coach, having failed to meet our set objectives,” he stated on the FIGC website. “The blue jersey is the most precious in football, and I feel it’s time to hand it over to a new technical team for the future.”
“I am grateful to president Gravina, Buffon, and everyone at the federation for their unwavering support. It has been an honor to lead the national team and work with players who showed incredible passion and dedication. The biggest thanks goes to the fans and all Italians who have stood by us during these challenging months.”
The former midfielder for AC Milan and Rangers took over from Luciano Spalletti, who succeeded Euro 2020 winner Roberto Mancini in 2023, just two matches into the qualifying campaign.
Having also missed out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Italy, with four championships to their name, become the first previous winners to miss three consecutive tournaments.
Gravina has held the highest position within the FIGC since October 2018, with an election for his successor set for June 22 in Rome.
“I want to thank Gattuso once again,” Gravina remarked. “As a coach, he has rejuvenated enthusiasm for the national team in a short time and instilled great pride in wearing the national jersey among the players and the nation.”
Potential candidates to succeed Gattuso include Roberto Mancini, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte, and Massimiliano Allegri. Mancini led Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 but failed to qualify for the subsequent World Cup before taking on the Saudi national team, a position he left in October 2024 to coach Al-Sadd in Qatar. Inzaghi, after securing the Serie A title with Inter Milan in 2024, now manages Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Conte, who coached Italy in the 2016 European Championship, is currently with Napoli, while Allegri is at the helm of AC Milan.
Italy is scheduled to play two friendly matches in June, though a new coach is not expected to be in place by then, as the election for the FIGC president will not happen until June 22.
Contributions from PA and The Associated Press have been included in this report.