Italy plunges into crisis: Gennaro Gattuso departs after World Cup qualification disaster
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced this Friday the departure of coach Gennaro Gattuso, in a decision that marks the end of a dark era for the “Azzurra” after the historic failure in qualifying for the World Cup. This dramatic outcome follows the penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoff final, where Italy, four-time world champions, lost an initial lead and finds itself out of the World Cup for the third consecutive edition.
The setback in the playoff, consummated on a nightmare night, precipitated a true upheaval behind the scenes of Italian football. The previous day, the president of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina, tendered his resignation, after being responsible for two failed campaigns towards the World Cup. Additionally, Gianluigi Buffon, head of the national team delegation, also stepped down, highlighting the deep shock to the team’s structure.
Italy’s Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, did not spare criticism and demanded a radical change in the leadership of the team, underlining the national shame of not being present on the world’s biggest football stage since 2014. Gravina’s departure made Gattuso’s continuation practically impossible, as he lost one of his main internal supporters.
In an official statement, Gattuso revealed his sadness and took responsibility for the failure: “With a heavy heart, having failed the objective we set ourselves, I consider my stage at the helm of the national team to be over. The Azzurra shirt is the most precious asset in football, and therefore it is right to facilitate future technical evaluations immediately. It was an honour to lead this team, composed of lads who showed commitment and loyalty to the shirt.”
Gennaro Gattuso, a former world-renowned midfielder, took charge of the team in June, with a one-year contract, replacing Luciano Spalletti after the heavy 3-0 defeat against Norway in the opening qualifying group match. Despite keeping the team for the subsequent victory against Moldova (2-0), the Italian campaign was marked by ups and downs, with a series of five consecutive victories under his command that were not enough to secure direct qualification, due to an inferior goal difference compared to Norway.
Italy found itself forced to contest the playoff, where it seemed destined to finally break the curse after defeating Northern Ireland 2-0 in the semi-final. However, the dream was cruelly shattered in Sarajevo, when the team, reduced to ten players, lost the 1-0 lead and eventually succumbed in the penalty shootout lottery.
This cycle of failures represents a deep crisis for Italian football, which now faces a mandatory restart after the departure of coach Gattuso and the exit of the federation president. The future of the “Azzurra” is open, and the entire country awaits a revolution capable of restoring the lost glory to one of the world’s greatest football powers.
This article first appears in Apito Final.
