New coach Gennaro Gattuso vows to restore enthusiasm to battered Italy

ROME – Italy’s new coach Gennaro Gattuso has pledged to restore enthusiasm and create a “family” atmosphere at the battered national team, who are aiming to secure qualification for the World Cup Finals after missing out twice in a row.

The 47-year-old replaces Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat by Norway in a World Cup qualifier on June 6. The 66-year-old officially departed three days later after his final match in charge, a 2-0 victory over Moldova.

“The primary aim is to create a sense of belonging” to the Azzurri team, Gattuso told reporters during his presentation to the press at a luxury hotel in central Rome on June 19.

“My goal is that whoever comes to the training ground comes with great enthusiasm and to create a family (atmosphere).”

Asked whether he had more hope or conviction that Italy could reach the 2026 showpiece, he said: “conviction”.

“I believe that we have good players available to us. We have four or five who are among the top 10 in the world in their position,” added Gattuso.

“We have a good team, but I do mean team, I’m not thinking about individuals. I’m convinced that the team has quality and I’m convinced that we can achieve our goal.”

Gattuso, who recently left Croatian club Hajduk Split after a third-place finish in the country’s top flight, said it is a “dream come true” for him to coach the Azzurri, but admitted that it would not be easy.

He believes that players are feeling the pressure of having missed out on qualification for two World Cups in a row and that was weighing on the team’s performance.

“We must be good at reacting, only those who react and give it all can get out of this situation,” he added.

Nicknamed “Ringhio” (Growler) for his tenacious attitude on the pitch, the combative midfielder earned 73 caps for the Italian national team and was a key member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad.

Gattuso spent the bulk of his playing career at AC Milan, where he won two Champions League and two Serie A titles, before returning to coach the club from 2017 to 2019. He then won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020.

Fans hope his strong character can help with the task of taking the four-time world champions to the 2026 World Cup, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

While Gattuso was not the Italian football federation’s first choice – Claudio Ranieri had reportedly rejected the offer to focus on his role as AS Roma adviser – Italy icon Gianluigi Buffon, now head of the national team delegation, has backed his former teammate to succeed.

“I had a long playing career and every time I faced once of Rino’s teams with Juventus, they gave us a hard time, you had the idea that his teams had a precise identity and that there was a lot of work and thought behind them,” said Buffon.

“It’s very simple, when you’re on the pitch, you can tell straight away if behind the other team there is a good coach or not. And every time I faced his Milan or Napoli team, I could tell that was the case.”

Italy, third in World Cup qualifying Group I, will host Estonia on Sept 5, before taking on Israel three days later. REUTERS, AFP