Gennaro Gattuso is stepping in as the head coach of the Italian national team after Luciano Spalletti was let go. Spalletti's record? Not great—he only managed to win half of his games. Gattuso, who recently parted ways with Hajduk Split in Croatia, now has the tough task of guiding Italy through World Cup qualification. It's a big deal, especially since the Azzurri missed out on the last two tournaments in 2018 and 2022.
Now, he takes over at a crucial moment. Italy just suffered a rough 3-0 defeat to Norway, and they’re in danger of failing to qualify for another World Cup. Ouch. Norway's been on fire, winning all four of their matches so far, while Italy has only played two. So, Gattuso’s first challenge will be in September when Italy faces Estonia and Israel in the qualifiers.
A bit about Gattuso: he's no stranger to the pitch. He played for AC Milan and has also managed clubs like Marseille, Valencia, and Napoli. During his playing days, he made 73 appearances for Italy, scoring once. After Spalletti’s departure, there was talk of other names like Claudio Ranieri and Stefano Pioli—however, Ranieri reportedly passed on the chance, and Pioli is likely heading to Fiorentina.
It's been a rocky road for Italian football lately. Aside from their Euro 2020 victory, they’ve struggled, missing out on World Cups in 2018 and 2022, and then getting knocked out by Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2024.
After watching the Italy U21 team secure a 1-0 win against Slovakia in the U21 European Championship, Gianluigi Buffon shared some thoughts. He mentioned, “We’ve been working hard, and now we’re just waiting on some final details. It’s been a pretty intense time for the president and the federation. But I think we’ve made the best choice in the end.”
Looking ahead, the 2021 European Championship winners are gearing up for those crucial matches against Estonia and Israel. Gattuso's debut with the national team is just around the corner, and it’s sure to be action-packed.
As a player, Gattuso was known for his relentless energy and fierce tackling—he really brought a lot of heart to the game. He was part of the legendary 2006 squad that clinched the World Cup in Berlin against France, which was definitely a high point.
In the coaching world, Gattuso has been quite the nomad, managing nine different clubs over the last 12 years, including stints at Milan, Napoli, Valencia, Marseille, and Hajduk Split, where he just left by mutual consent. His best run was likely at Napoli, where he won the Coppa Italia in 2020 and boasted a win rate of about 56.79%. Quite the journey, huh?
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