Gattuso's Italy Era Ends: The Azzurri Face a Fresh Start After World Cup Heartbreak
3 April 2026
The Italian coach leaves the Azzurri with a heart weighed by sadness.
The Italian Football Federation announced that coach Gennaro Gattuso ended his contract by mutual consent, following Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
In a statement released on Friday, the federation said Gattuso and the federation reached a mutual agreement to terminate the deal.
Gattuso had taken charge of the national team in June 2025, succeeding Luciano Spalletti, but could not achieve the core objective of returning the side to the World Cup.
The Italian Federation thanked Gattuso and his staff for the commitment and passion they showed over the nine months, and wished them success in their future careers.
The Azzurri failed to reach the World Cup for the third consecutive time after losing the playoff final to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties on Tuesday night.
Federation president Gabriele Gravina also announced his resignation following the setback, alongside the resignation of team director Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy is scheduled to play two warm-up matches in June, but a new coach is unlikely to be appointed before then, especially as a new federation president will be elected the same month.
What did Gattuso say about his departure?
Gattuso said, with a heart weighed by sadness, after failing to achieve the goal we set for ourselves, I believe my stint as head coach of the national team has ended.
He added, "The Azzurri shirt is the most precious thing in football, and that's why it is right to reassess the future technical plans immediately".
Then he said, "I want to thank President Gravina, Gianluigi Buffon, and everyone at the federation for the trust and support they've always given me. It has been an honor to lead the national team, working with players who showed dedication and loyalty to this jersey."
He concluded, "But my greatest thanks go to the fans, to all Italians who never stopped showing their love and support for the national team. The blue will forever stay in my heart".
Punchline: Looks like his tactical blueprint went offside in slow motion—time for a reboot.
Punchline 2: If the Azzurri had a search engine, it would read "404: World Cup".
