Following Italy’s elimination from the World Cup play-offs after a defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, coach Gennaro Gattuso stated that it is “not the time” to discuss his future, though he hinted at deeper systemic challenges facing Italian football.
The match in Zenica initially seemed promising for the Azzurri, who took the lead through Moise Kean. However, a turning point occurred before half-time when Alessandro Bastoni received a red card for fouling Amar Memic, who was clear on goal. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Italy held on until the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic bundled the ball over the line from close range after Gianluigi Donnarumma had made a crucial save from Edin Dzeko. Italy even created opportunities to secure a win in extra time, despite playing with a man disadvantage for an hour, but ultimately succumbed in the penalty shootout with Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante failing to convert their spot-kicks.
Gattuso not thinking about his Italy future
“I have just finished speaking to the team. I can only express my gratitude to them; it has been years since I witnessed the Nazionale play with such heart,” Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia. “It’s painful, truly painful, but we must accept this outcome. I don’t wish to discuss referees or other factors; we had chances to score a second goal but didn’t, we struggled with the numerous crosses, yet we gave our absolute all.”
Gattuso continued, expressing his pride in the squad despite the heavy personal blow of the verdict. He acknowledged that the situation was already challenging when he took over from Luciano Spalletti, with the team having lost its opening qualifier 3-0 against Norway. “When you’re in a stadium with passionate fans, we made a mistake and went down to 10 men. Even then, we had opportunities to score again. The team performed as required tonight. For years, people have called for an Italy side that truly cares about the shirt, and they saw that tonight, even if events ultimately went against us.”
When questioned about his future following Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Gattuso remained evasive. “We will see, but I do not believe this is the appropriate moment to discuss my future or anyone else’s. Such is football; sometimes it brings celebration, and other times it brings suffering.”
This recent disappointment adds to a series of struggles for Italian football, particularly after all Italian clubs exited the Champions League before the quarter-final stage. Gattuso, however, chose not to delve into the broader issues. “I won’t get involved in this controversy; I am a coach. We are all aware that it has been a difficult period for several years. I am not the right person to articulate what needs improvement; there are others more knowledgeable than me. So, we shall see.”