Gattuso resigns as Italy coach after World Cup qualifying failure

Gennaro Gattuso resigns as head coach of the Italian national team after the failure in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Gennaro Gattuso has left his role as head coach of the Italian national team by mutual agreement and with "heartache," as the Azzurri seek to start a new chapter after failing to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

The Italian team suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoff final last Tuesday in Zenica. This result led both the President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina and the Team Manager Gianluigi Buffon, former Juventus goalkeeper, to resign the following day.

Head coach Gattuso, 48, also followed suit on Friday after taking responsibility for the aforementioned failure.

Coach Gattuso stated on the FIGC website: "With heartache, for failing to achieve the goal we set, I hereby conclude my journey as head coach of the national team."

"The Azzurri jersey is the most special thing in football, and therefore, I need to hand it over to a new coaching staff to look toward the future," Coach Gattuso said.

"I must thank President Gravina, Buffon, and all those I worked with at the federation for the trust and support they always gave me. Leading the national team was an honor, and I did it with a group of players who always showed fighting spirit and dedication to this jersey. The greatest thanks go to the fans and all the Italian people, who never stopped supporting us, even in these final months," Coach Gattuso continued.

Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti (who succeeded Roberto Mancini, the EURO 2020 champion in 2023) when the new qualifying campaign had only completed two matches.

Mr. Gravina, 72, has held the top position at FIGC since October 2018. An election to appoint his replacement as president will take place on June 22 in Rome.

The former Juventus and Parma goalkeeper, Buffon, who won the 2006 World Cup, wrote on Instagram that he felt following Gravina's example and leaving his role with the Italian national team was "an act of responsibility."

The 48-year-old legend shared: "The main goal was to bring the Italian national team back to the World Cup. And we did not succeed."