Franco Baresi has urged Italian football to undertake a collective introspection following the Azzurri’s third consecutive World Cup elimination, while simultaneously shielding Gennaro Gattuso from the majority of the criticism directed his way.
The AC Milan legend and former Italy captain shared his views after Wednesday’s penalty shootout loss to Bosnia. He acknowledged that pivotal moments during the match had hindered the Azzurri, but stressed that the underlying issues extend far beyond a single game or coach.
Baresi: ‘Italian football must do a ‘mea culpa’, Gattuso not to blame’
“Yesterday, there were incidents that negatively impacted our team,” Baresi stated, referring to Alessandro Bastoni’s first-half red card, which left Italy with ten men for much of the contest. “However, Italy cannot consistently reach the final qualification stage just to fight for a spot. The entirety of Italian football must perform a ‘mea culpa,’ as the results of the past two decades, with the sole exception of the European Championship triumph, are evident to everyone.”
Despite this broad critique of the system, Baresi was notably protective of Gattuso.
“In these months, he gave his all, his soul, and in my opinion, he also did a commendable job given the limited time he had,” Baresi commented. “Regrettably, it wasn’t enough. It’s not for me to decide if he should continue, but he is certainly among the least culpable for this defeat.”
This sentiment stands in stark contrast to some of the more sweeping condemnations aimed at the coaching staff since Wednesday night, reflecting a wider perspective that Italy’s challenges are structural rather than merely the product of individual shortcomings.
