Gattuso's wake-up call: Italy rattled after stunning Norway defeat
17 November 2025
Post-match reflections
Gennaro Gattuso, Italy's manager, admitted that the team's collapse against Norway is deeply worrying, and he would be hypocritical to claim otherwise.
Italy understood that finishing first in the group was unlikely, needing an improbable 9-0 swing to overturn the Norwegian goal difference in their World Cup qualifying group.
Nevertheless, they hoped to avenge their June defeat and enter the knockout phase with renewed confidence after a run of victories.
The 4-1 defeat, sealed by an opener from Francesco Esposito at San Siro, marked the first loss of Gattuso's tenure with Italy and proved painful.
In the post-match press conference, the attending media asked how Norway's second-half surge happened. The coach replied that it wasn’t a fitness issue: after the break, they briefly exposed a gap, then pressed with a different approach, targeting Italy's weaknesses and paying the price.
“We stopped making the right movements; this is my biggest regret,” he admitted.
Apology to the fans
“We apologize to the fans and take responsibility. It was a crucial match for us against a strong opponent, and a win would have boosted our confidence. We failed. We can't collapse and feel embarrassed as we did today at the first sign of difficulty.”
Gattuso also acknowledged that this fragility is a serious concern for the future, with Italy facing the risk of losing the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
“It's worrying, and I'd be a hypocrite if I claimed otherwise. We won't meet again for three months, and it's not necessary to claim we've learned a lesson from this game. A team can still be turned around in five minutes by players who can change a game.”
He added that playing from the back wasn’t the same as before and that they stopped executing the right moves. “We must be able to respond when the ball is in the net,” he said, acknowledging that the second-half performance was short of what was required.
There were discussions about arranging a training camp at Coverciano in February to spend time with the players before the March qualifiers. Gattuso noted the windows of February 2-3 or February 9-10, but he doubted any camp would materialize given the logistics.
Whistles
Gattuso recently reacted with frustration to whistles during their 2-0 victory over Moldova, acknowledging that the supporters were justified in expressing their dissatisfaction after the final whistle.
He added that, at half-time, he was pleased with the performance and the support, but warned that words alone would not suffice to fix the issues. The night was not one anyone deserved, especially those who came to cheer.
“We must not fear or retreat, we are under pressure. We haven’t qualified for the last two World Cups, and we cannot underestimate that reality.”
He concluded that the team must not lose confidence at the first setback and must trust their abilities, avoiding the minimum effort when things go wrong.
Asked whether Italy's current squad lacks leadership, Gattuso responded: “A captain alone isn’t enough. In these moments we must stay united. Building attacks from the back in the second half wasn’t smooth; something changed from the start. If you fear making a mistake, you’re trying too hard, and that’s not acceptable.”
There is a recurring sense that improvements are needed quickly as the road to the World Cup heats up.
Punchline time: If Italy’s defense were a bank, the refunds would be steep; and if motivation were a currency, today we’d be in a big deficit. Punchline two: Gattuso’s homework assignment this week? Stop selling hope like hotcakes and start serving results.
