Gennaro Gattuso expressed that his inability to lead Italy to qualification for the 2026 World Cup has left him with a lasting “wound.”
Despite this, he conveyed his heartfelt wishes to his successor, Roberto Mancini.
Gattuso stepped down in April shortly after the Azzurri faced a playoff defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which resulted in Italy missing out on a third consecutive men’s World Cup.
Italy reappointed former national team coach Mancini in July.
“I had 10 incredible months,” Gattuso stated regarding his brief stint as Italy’s coach, following a 1-0 victory with Lazio over Bologna in their Serie A opener. He added, “The players I coached gave their all. It’s a wound that will last a lifetime for me because it cut deep.”
A 2006 World Cup champion with Italy, Gattuso returned to club coaching in June by signing with Lazio, expressing confidence that Mancini is well-equipped to lead the national team.
“I’d describe Mancini as a remarkable coach with extensive experience,” Gattuso noted. “I wish him all the success he deserves because Italian football needs that. He is a great manager who has already achieved success with the national team, and I genuinely wish him the best.”
Mancini, 61, previously coached Italy from 2018 to 2023, claiming the European Championship title, but he also failed to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
Initially, Andrea Pirlo was a prominent candidate to take over after Gattuso, but concerns regarding a sponsorship deal with Russian betting firm Fonbet ruled him out.
The Lega Serie A favored having former coach Antonio Conte, who led Italy from 2014 to 2016, return to the role, but the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ultimately opted for Mancini instead.
“It’s true that the Serie A League preferred Antonio Conte to manage the national team,” remarked Ezio Maria Simonelli, president of Lega Serie A, on Monday. “However, we must now rally behind Mancini and hope that he can restore Italian football to its well-deserved glory. Our national team manager boasts an impressive resume, highlighted by the 2021 European Championship—the last major trophy for Italian football. I wish him the best in the upcoming five matches, starting with the Nations League game against Belgium on September 25.”