Italy's 'World Cup apocalypse': Coach Gattuso leaves future open
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso is pictured during the International friendly soccer match between Algeria and Uruguay at the Allianz Stadium. Edson Teodoro De Souza, Edson De/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Gennaro Gattuso has left his future as Italy coach open after the Azzurri shockingly failed for the third time in a row to qualify for a World Cup. Italy are four-time World Cup winners but a 4-1 defeat on penalties in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday means that the Euro 2020 winners will miss out like in 2018 and 2022.
Former AC Milan midfielder Gattuso was part of the last Italian team that lifted the trophy in 2006 and was appointed coach last June in succession of Luciano Spalletti. Gattuso named Tuesday's defeat in Zenica "a heavy blow" on a personal level and said "I have no interest whatsoever to talk about my future. "We should be talking about Italy, about the blue shirt and that it is another setback which we didn't deserve.
"I apologise to all Italians. It hurts so much. I can only thank them (the players), as it had been years since I’d seen the Nazionale play with such heart.
" Italy led early from Moise Kean but Alessandro Bastoni sent off shortly before half-time. Bosnia got a 79th-minute equalizer from Haris Tabaković but Italy held out to reach shoot-out where only Sandro Tonali netted as Pio Esposito fired over and Bryan Cristante's effort came back from the underside of the bar. The Italian football federation FIGC will meet next week to discuss the future.
Its president, Gabriele Gravina, was quoted as backing Guttoso as well national team delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon, the goalkeeper in the winning team from 2006. “I asked him, and Buffon, to stay on as manager of this team. He’s a great manager,” said Gravina, whose future could also be on the line.