Coach Gattuso not interested in talking about his future after Italy miss out on World Cup again
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said it is not the time to talk about his future despite the Azzurri failing to qualify for a third straight World Cup. Even if Gattuso hasn’t made up his mind whether to stay or not, the Italian soccer federation gave a clear sign it would like him to remain on Tuesday. Four-time World Cup winner Italy lost a penalty shootout at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs on Tuesday, after playing most of the match with 10 men.
“I’m not interested at all in talking about my future today,” Gattuso said. “It hurts, it really hurts. More than hurting me, it hurts to see this group which has really given everything in these months and I think we deserved to get back what we put in and I honestly think it’s too reductive and too immature to be talking about my future today.
“Here we should be talking about Italy, about the national team shirt, that it’s yet another blow even though this time we didn’t deserve it. We deserved more and that’s why my future doesn’t matter. ” Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia , respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.
Gattuso was hired last June to replace the fired Luciano Spalletti, with Italy’s World Cup qualifying hopes already flagging again. He was given a contract until the end of this summer’s World Cup, with an automatic renewal until 2028 if Italy reached the tournament in North America. “I have to praise Gattuso.
I think he’s been a great coach, he is a great coach, I’ve asked him to stay on in charge of these players,” Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said. However, whether Gravina himself should remain is also up for debate and he said he has already called for a federation council meeting next week to evaluate matters. Gravina has overseen two sets of disappointing World Cup qualifiers after taking charge in 2018.