Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso faces sack after World Cup playoff defeat
Gennaro Gattuso’s position as Italy head coach is under severe threat after the national team missed out on a third consecutive World Cup following a play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Azzurri suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss in their European qualifying playoff final.
It means the four-time world champions will be absent from the upcoming tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The European heavyweight nation has remarkably not appeared at men’s football’s flagship tournament since 2014.
Short-term future confirmed
Gattuso and technical delegate Gianluigi Buffon only assumed control in June 2025 after Luciano Spalletti was dismissed.
The duo inherited a squad already trailing Norway in their qualification group but failed to successfully turn the campaign around.
Buffon confirmed the current management team will remain in place until the summer, though their long-term future is highly uncertain.
“This is a delicate moment, and we need to take the necessary time to make the right evaluations,” Buffon said.
“We’ll be here until June, then we’ll see for the rest how the whole thing is tackled.”
Political pressure mounts
The latest qualification failure has sparked widespread outrage across the nation and demands for a complete structural overhaul.
Politicians have heavily criticised Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina in the wake of the result.
The Lega party, part of Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition, demanded immediate resignations on social media.
“Italian football needs a complete overhaul, starting with the resignation of Gabriele Gravina.”
Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi echoed those sentiments, insisting the national game must be rebuilt from the ground up.
Allegri emerges as favourite
Speculation is already mounting regarding potential successors should the FIGC decide to part ways with their 46-year-old manager.
Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly the preferred choice among supporters to lead the painful rebuilding process.
The highly decorated tactician made history during his tenure at Juventus by winning four consecutive domestic doubles.
Allegri’s proven track record of domestic dominance makes him a standout candidate to guide the struggling European nation forward.
