When a San Marino coach drops World Cup wisdom on Italy: Gattuso’s 2026 dream under pressure
29 March 2026
Overview
Roberto Sefoli, the coach of San Marino, delivered blunt counsel to his fellow countryman Gennaro Gattuso, Italy's head coach, in the race to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups (2018 and 2022), and they now stand one step from reaching World Cup 2026 as they travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Italy advanced from the playoff semifinal by beating Northern Ireland 2-0 last Thursday, and they face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday.
San Marino recently faced Bosnia and Herzegovina away in World Cup qualifying, and Sefoli told Gattuso that the Bosnians are slow and predictable. San Marino lost 1-0 in Bosnia, but Sefoli believes Bosnia cannot stop Italy.
San Marino’s Input and Bosnian Assessment
Sefoli told La Gazzetta dello Sport that their stadium is small, yet the stands are so close you can really feel the energy of the crowd.
He recalled that the match was level at 0-0 until about 25 minutes before the end, when Edin Džeko, then on the bench, wore sneakers and was brought on to score the decisive goal.
He added that a late 1-1 was possible on a counterattack, but the home side celebrated our mistake, fearing a Bosnian victory would come easily.
Sefoli also noted that Bosnia are fairly predictable, with no truly quick players, but warned not to underestimate environmental factors on the day.
Bosnia would later hammer San Marino 6-0 in the return leg.
Atmosphere, Tactics, and the Final Whistle
In football, even a tiny nation can shape a giant rivalry, and a touch of humor never hurts when chasing a dream as big as the World Cup.
For Italy, the playoff path remains tense, and supporters will hope the plan feels more like a strategy and less like a coin flip.
"They are slow and predictable," Sefoli noted of Bosnia, while acknowledging Italy’s potential to break through when needed.
"The stadium is small, but the energy from the stands is real and immediate," he added, describing the atmosphere that can lift a team at the crucial moments.
Ultimately, the Bosnian response came in the form of a 6-0 victory in the return leg, a stark reminder that in playoff football, history can swing quickly.
Punchlines aside, the bigger joke would be expecting consistency in a system still finding its rhythm; the real punchline is whether Italy can convert this setup into a World Cup berth.
Punchline 2: If Italy’s World Cup dream were a sniper, it would still be loading its aiming reticle—precision, not prayer, needed this time around.
