The 'Azzurra' is going through a critical stage and is committed to a new course to direct its 2026 World Cup classification.
Photo: Efe – Guillaume Horcajuelo
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In difficulties in achieving the ticket to the 2026 World Cup, the Italian soccer team is put in the hands of the former Gennaro Gattuso world so as not to be out of the World Cup for the third consecutive occasion.
The Italian Football Federation (Figc) announced this Sunday that Gattuso will occupy the Azzurro bench replacing Luciano Spalletti, ceased after the 3-0 defeat in Norway on June 6 that complicates the World Cup classification.
“It is a symbol of Italian football. The blue shirt is like a second skin for him. His professionalism and experience will be fundamental,” Figc congratulated in the statement of the advertisement of Gattuso, 47, and member of the team that conquered the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
“He is aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve. I want to thank you for the total disposition by accepting this challenge,” added the president of Figc Gabiele Gravina.
Volcanic temperament
Known for its volcanic temperament, Gattuso reaches the position after the refusal of other great names of 'calcium' such as Claudio Ranieri (73 years) and Stefano Pioli (59 years), more experienced.
Gattuso (73 games as an international, a goal) is to classify Italy, four times world champion and twice European champion, for its first World Cup since Brazil 2014.
The Azzurra was the great absentee of the quotes of Russia 2018 and Catar 2022, for which he did not get the ticket by being eliminated in the European repechage.
Italy began its path in the classification phase to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, losing 3-0 against Norway in Oslo.
After that defeat, Spalletti announced his departure from the position and after the next game, against Moldova, before which Italy could overcome the flight to win 2-0.
After two of his eight games of the World Cup qualifying group, Italy is third with 3 points, nine units and a disadvantage of 11 goals from Norway, its main rival for the leadership and the only direct classification ticket.
The Norwegians, yes, have two games played more than the Italians.
Gattuso will debut on September 5 against Estonia.
Spalletti had taken the reins of Italy in August 2023, after Roberto Mancini's unexpected exit towards Saudi Arabia.
Discreet career as a coach
His balance was just 12 victories in 24 games (50%), for six draws and six losses. Only Cesare Prandelli, who was in the position from 2010 to 2014 (41.07%) made it worse on the bench of Italy this century.
Gattuso shone especially as an indefatigable player and hypermotivated in AC Milan, his club from 1999 to 2012. With that team he won two Italian leagues and two champions of champions.
His coach career, on the other hand, has not managed to get so high for now.
He only achieved a title on the benches, at the head of Naples in the Italy Cup in 2020.
He also directed AC Milan (2017-2019), Valencia (2019-2021) and Marseille (2023-2024), without leaving a great mark.
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