Why Italy really feel 2006 World Cup-winner Gennaro Gattuso is the best man to steer Azzurri

Of their desperation to keep away from lacking out on the FIFA World Cup for a 3rd consecutive time, the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) named former Milan and Napoli supervisor Gennaro Gattuso as Italy’s coach on Sunday. The event comes per week after Luciano Spalletti was sacked from the publish after two years in cost following a 3-0 defeat by the hands of Norway on Saturday, 7 June in the course of the ongoing Qualifiers for subsequent yr’s FIFA World Cup.

Former midfielder Gattuso was a part of the Marcello Lippi-coached Italian group that had defeated France on penalties to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

And the Italian federation is hopeful of the truth that the 47-year-old, who had coached Napoli to the Coppa Italia title in 2020, will have the ability to pull off one thing comparable as supervisor, offered Azzurri are capable of qualify for the event.

Gennaro Gattuso is the brand new First Crew Head Coach 🇮🇹
Welcome again, Rino 👊#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/H6oQZWJcca

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 15, 2025

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, for one, describes Gattuso as a “image of Italian soccer”, and is banking on his “professionalism and expertise” for the four-time world champions to return to the World Cup after a 12-year hole.

“Gattuso is an emblem of Italian soccer – the blue jersey is sort of a second pores and skin for him. His motivations, his professionalism and his expertise might be elementary to greatest face the upcoming commitments of the Nationwide Crew,” Gravina stated in an official assertion on Gattuso’s appointment.

“Conscious of the significance of the target we need to obtain, I thank him for the supply and whole dedication with which he has acquired this problem, sharing the FIGC venture for the general growth of our soccer, by which the blue jersey performs a strategic central position,” he added.

Can Gattuso hold Italy’s World Cup dream alive?

After failing to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups – whereas successful the Euro in 2021 – Italy started their qualification marketing campaign for subsequent yr’s event that might be collectively hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico with a lopsided defeat towards Norway, by which Manchester Metropolis star Erling Haaland scored the third objective.

Spalletti, who was knowledgeable of his ouster after the 3-0 defeat, oversaw a 2-0 win over Moldova in his ultimate sport in cost. Regardless of the win coming towards a facet ranked 154th on the earth, it has introduced Italy’s marketing campaign again on monitor and revived their hopes of reaching the Finals.

The primary spherical of the UEFA leg of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers includes 12 teams – six of them have 4 groups every and the remaining have a further group. Italy are a part of Group I, a five-team group by which they at present are ranked third with three factors after their victory over Moldova. Every group performs the remaining sides twice on a home-and-away foundation.

The format of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers is such that the 12 group winners achieve direct entry into the event whereas the runners-up might be joined by the 4 best-placed groups amongst UEFA Nations League group winners which completed outdoors the highest two of their World Cup Qualifying group.

Italy had completed second of their Nations League group final yr, which means they must end among the many high two for them to maintain their World Cup dream alive. They face Israel and Estonia, at present ranked second and fourth respectively of their group, of their subsequent fixtures in September and victories in these video games ought to enhance their probabilities of a top-two end.