Gennaro Gattuso stated that discussions about his future are premature following Italy’s unexpected defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-offs. He suggested that Italian football, or “Calcio,” faces more profound, systemic issues.
The match in Zenica had initially started well for Italy, who took the lead through Moise Kean. However, the game’s dynamic shifted dramatically when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for a foul on Amar Memic, who was in a clear goal-scoring position just before halftime.
Despite playing with ten men, the Azzurri managed to hold their lead until the 79th minute. Haris Tabakovic then bundled the ball over the line from close range, converting a rebound after Gianluigi Donnarumma had made a significant save from Edin Dzeko.
Even with an hour spent at a numerical disadvantage, Italy managed to create opportunities to win in extra time. Nevertheless, they ultimately capitulated in the penalty shootout, with Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante both missing their attempts.
Gattuso not thinking about his Italy future
“I’ve just finished speaking to the team. I can only thank them, as it has been years since I’ve witnessed the Nazionale play with such passion,” Gattuso shared with Sky Sport Italia.
He continued, “It hurts, it truly pains me, but we must accept it. I don’t wish to dwell on referees or any other factors; we had chances to score a second goal but didn’t, and we struggled with all those crosses. We gave everything we had.”
“I am proud of them, even though it’s difficult to accept this outcome. It will take time to recover. On a personal level, this is a heavy blow.”
Gattuso had taken over in an already challenging period after Luciano Spalletti, with Italy having lost their opening group qualifier 3-0 in Norway.
“When you’re in a stadium with the fans pushing, we made a mistake and were reduced to 10 men. Even then, we created opportunities for a second goal. The team fulfilled its responsibilities today,” he commented.
“For years, people have longed for an Italy team that truly cares about the shirt; tonight, they saw that commitment. However, critical incidents ultimately went against us.”
With Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, questions surrounding Gattuso’s future naturally emerge.
“We’ll see,” Gattuso responded, “but I don’t believe this is the appropriate moment to discuss my future or anyone else’s. This is the nature of football; sometimes it brings celebration, and other times it brings suffering.”
This World Cup qualification failure is the latest in a series of setbacks for Italian football, underscored by all Italian clubs being eliminated from the Champions League before the quarter-finals.
“I won’t engage in this controversy; I am merely a coach,” Gattuso affirmed. “We all recognize that it has been a struggle for Italian football for several years. I am not the right person to specify what improvements are needed; there are individuals with greater knowledge than me. So, we shall see,” Gattuso concluded.
