Gennaro Gattuso has relinquished his position as Italy’s head coach by shared agreement, declaring “with a heavy heart,” as the country seeks a fresh start after its most recent unsuccessful bid to secure a spot in the World Cup.
The Azzurri experienced a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina during Tuesday evening’s play-off final in Zenica. This outcome led to both Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), and Gianluigi Buffon, the former Juventus goalkeeper and head of delegation, tendering their resignations the following day.
Head coach Gattuso, aged 48, also resigned on Friday. He accepted accountability for Italy’s inability to secure better than a second-place finish in their preliminary group, six points adrift of Norway, which ultimately led to the pivotal confrontation in Bosnia.
The erstwhile manager of Valencia, Marseille, and Hajduk Split informed the FIGC website: “With profound regret, having not accomplished the objective we established for ourselves, I am concluding my time as the national team’s manager.
“The blue jersey holds a singular importance in football, and for this rationale, I must entrust it to a new technical squad moving forward.
“I wish to express my gratitude to President Gravina and Buffon, along with everyone I’ve collaborated with at the federation, for the unwavering trust and backing they consistently provided me. It was a privilege to manage the national squad, and I did so alongside a group of individuals who always exhibited dedication and loyalty to the jersey. My sincerest appreciation extends to the supporters and all Italians who continuously stood by us, even in these past few months.”
The erstwhile AC Milan and Rangers midfielder stepped into the role previously held by Luciano Spalletti, who himself had taken over from Euro 2020 champion Roberto Mancini in 2023, a mere two fixtures into the qualification efforts.
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Having also been unable to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, Italy, the quadruple titleholders, now hold the unfortunate distinction of being the first erstwhile champions to miss three successive World Cups.
Gravina, aged 72, had occupied the principal office within the FIGC since October 2018. A ballot to designate his successor as president is scheduled to occur on Monday, June 22, in Rome.
Ex-Juve and Parma goalkeeper Buffon, who clinched the World Cup in 2006, shared on Instagram that he regarded it as “a responsible gesture” for him to mirror Gravina’s actions and relinquish his post with the national squad.
The 48-year-old stated: “Our primary aim was to return Italy to the World Cup. And we did not prevail.”