Gattuso Pushes for a Serie A Pause to Help Italy's World Cup Bid

Gattuso Pushes for a Serie A Pause to Aid Italy's World Cup Quest

Gennaro Gattuso, Italy's head coach, said he hopes to move the Serie A matches scheduled for the weekend before the World Cup qualifiers to give the Azzurri extra time to prepare for the semi-final against Northern Ireland.

Italy will host Northern Ireland in the World Cup qualifying semi-final on March 26, with the final potentially played away against the winner of Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

No international breaks are planned until March next year, which means limited time for the squad to prepare.

Hence, Gattuso floated another possible plan that could help in the lead-up. He noted discussions with colleagues, including Montella, about the possibility of pausing leagues in Turkey for three days so the team could gain extra rest. This would allow some players to compete in European fixtures and gain three additional days to prepare.

For now, the focus remains on the first match and the different challenges posed by Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the main target is Ireland; the environment and playing style of the two opponents are distinct.

Ireland are a physically strong side that likes second balls, so Italy will need a great performance.

Looking ahead, the plan is to think about the first match first and then about potential opponents. The atmosphere in Wales can be tough, and the pitches in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be challenging, but the goal remains to reach the semi-final and then decide how to face the next opponent.

The semi-final is expected to be played at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, home to Atalanta.

Regarding this, the coach indicated that discussions with the federation will determine the venue, and they will see if the Bergamo arena is viable.

Italy endured a 4-1 home defeat to Norway last week, and Gattuso has already begun planning to visit players in the coming months.

The coach says he gave players some time off, but after four or five days, once the sting from Sunday at San Siro fades, they will restart. He intends to visit Italian players abroad for a chat over tea or dinner and hopes to arrange meetings that cover more than football, including daily life.

On the performance, Gattuso emphasizes that the first half showed potential; improvements are needed across the board as they cannot disappear from the field again. He stresses that this is not only the players' problem but his and the staff’s as well. A shift in this aspect is required.

The campaign finished with Italy in second place in Group 9 with 18 points from eight games, six behind the leaders Norway. The campaign began with a heavy away defeat at Norway, which sparked doubts about Luciano Spalletti's leadership of the team.

There were reports at the time that the federation planned to fire Spalletti after the Moldova match, and Spalletti himself admitted that a change might come after that game regardless of the result.

Under the new regime, Italy beat Moldova 2-0 at home, with goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiasso, signaling a positive start and paving the way for Gattuso's appointment. The run continued with wins over Estonia and Israel, and Moldova again, as the team built momentum.

But the latest meeting with Norway ended in a heavy 4-1 loss, underscoring the need for improvement and resilience as the team builds toward the next phase.

Punchline time: If Serie A ever pauses, maybe the players will finally learn to aim for the correct goal instead of chasing the ball into their own net.
Punchline 2: If calendars had a heartbeat, Italy’s would be in a constant state of hold—just enough time to sip coffee and pretend the season isn’t knocking at the door.