Gennaro Gattuso Departs Italy National Team After World Cup Qualification Disappointment
Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso has left his position with the national team by mutual consent, following the Azzurri's failure to qualify for their third consecutive FIFA World Cup this week. The former AC Milan star had been under intense pressure in the wake of the devastating disappointment, which has triggered a seismic reshuffle within Italy's football hierarchy.
Key Resignations Rock Italian Football Federation
After Italy's penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia in their play-off final on Tuesday evening, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, resigned from his post. Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who served as head of Italy's delegation, also stepped down from his role. According to reports from Sky Sport Italia, Gattuso has now agreed to depart with the federation's approval, with an official announcement anticipated in the coming hours.
Gravina had reportedly requested that Gattuso remain as manager just hours before resigning during an emergency meeting at the FIGC's headquarters in Rome. Instead, Italy will now seek new leadership ahead of their next round of international friendlies scheduled for June.
Potential Successors and Managerial Speculation
Amid speculation over Gattuso's inevitable departure, several high-profile names have been floated as potential successors. These include Napoli boss Antonio Conte and fellow former Italy head coach Roberto Mancini. Both Conte and Mancini have previously held the position, with Conte's tenure ending after two years when he moved to manage Chelsea in 2016.
Mancini took charge of Italy previously after they failed to reach the 2018 World Cup under Gian Pietro Ventura. The former Manchester City manager memorably led Italy to Euro 2020 glory as part of a remarkable 37-match unbeaten run. However, he later failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing a play-off tie against North Macedonia.
Mancini then stunningly resigned ahead of Italy's Euro 2024 qualifying campaign before taking charge of the Saudi Arabia national team. The veteran manager, who is currently in charge at Qatari club Al-Sadd, is said to be favoured by one of the contenders to become FIGC president, Giovanni Malago. Malago previously oversaw the success of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Buffon's Emotional Departure and Internal Turmoil
Gianluigi Buffon swiftly confirmed his resignation earlier this week, with the 2006 World Cup-winning goalkeeper describing his decision as "an act of responsibility." In an emotional Instagram post, Buffon wrote: "Resigning a minute after the end of the match against Bosnia was an urgent act, one that came from deep within me. As spontaneous as the tears and the ache in my heart that I know I share with all of you."
He continued: "I was asked to wait until everyone had the time to reflect. Now that President Gravina has chosen to step back, I feel free to do what I feel is a responsible act, because, despite my sincere belief that I have built so much in terms of team spirit with Rino Gattuso and all my collaborators, in the very short time available to the national team, the main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn't succeed."
Buffon added that it was right to leave those who follow him the freedom to choose the person they deem best to fill his role.
UEFA Warning Adds to Italy's Woes
Amid the internal tumult, Italy has also come under recent fire from UEFA, with president Aleksander Ceferin suggesting that the nation could be stripped of their right to co-host Euro 2032 with Turkey due to the poor conditions of their stadiums. Ceferin told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place. I hope the infrastructure will be ready. Otherwise, the tournament will not be played in Italy."
He further defended his UEFA vice-president Gravina while criticising Italian politicians, stating: "Perhaps it is Italian politicians who should be asking themselves why Italy has some of the worst football infrastructure in Europe."
The 2020 European champions will now miss out on their third consecutive World Cup finals, marking a significant low point for a nation with such a rich footballing history. The FIGC had previously taken legal action over Mancini's departure, but the case was later resolved, and Gravina's exit has reportedly removed an obstacle to a possible return for the former manager.
