Italy’s coach Gennaro Gattuso stated that it is not the right moment to discuss his future, following the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
While Gattuso has yet to make a decision about his tenure, the Italian Football Federation expressed a desire for him to continue in his role on Tuesday.
The four-time World Cup champions suffered a defeat in a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranked 66th in the world, during the European playoffs, after playing the majority of the match with just 10 players.
“I’m not at all interested in discussing my future right now,” Gattuso expressed. “It hurts deeply. More than my own pain, it’s disheartening to see this group that has fought tirelessly over the past months; we truly deserved a different outcome. It feels immature to even consider my future at this point.”
“The conversation should be about Italy, about the national team and this unfortunate setback that we didn’t deserve. We deserved more, which is why my future doesn’t hold relevance.”
Italy faced eliminations in the previous two World Cup qualifying campaigns against Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively.
Gattuso took over in June after Luciano Spalletti was dismissed, as Italy’s hopes for World Cup qualification were already dwindling.
His contract is slated to run until the conclusion of this summer’s World Cup, with the possibility of an extension until 2028 if Italy qualifies for the North American tournament.
“I want to commend Gattuso; he’s been an exceptional coach, and I’ve requested that he continue leading this squad,” said Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation.
However, discussions about Gravina’s own future are also a matter of concern, and he has called for a federation council meeting next week to address various issues.
Since taking office in 2018, Gravina has overseen two disappointing World Cup qualifying cycles; he succeeded Carlo Tavecchio, who resigned after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Not every coach in Italy has faced repercussions for the national team’s World Cup misses. Gian Piero Ventura was dismissed after the loss to Sweden, whereas Roberto Mancini retained his position despite Italy’s unexpected exit against North Macedonia in 2022, just months after securing the European Championship title.
Mancini ultimately resigned over a year later and took a coaching role in Saudi Arabia soon after, leading to Spalletti’s appointment as his successor.
However, Spalletti was also dismissed after a disappointing Euro 2024 performance, with Gattuso stepping in to lead the squad. Tuesday’s loss marks another chapter of disappointment for Italy’s once-great national team, which has won the World Cup four times. The Azzurri now become the first World Cup champions to miss out on qualification for three consecutive tournaments.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.