Gennaro Gattuso has resigned as head coach of the Italy national football team, just three days after the team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the Italian Football Federation announced.
“With a heavy heart for not achieving the objective we had set, I consider my experience on the national team bench concluded,” Gattuso said in a statement released by the Italian Football Federation.
The federation confirmed it reached an agreement with the coach for his departure and thanked him and his staff for their “dedication and passion” over the past nine months, wishing them success in the future.
Gattuso was appointed in June 2025, replacing Luciano Spalletti, with the mission of securing Italy’s return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Read more: World Cup 2026: Iraq secures final spot with win over Bolivia (with video)
However, Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in the European playoff Path A. The match ended 1-1 after extra time, before Italy lost 4-1 on penalties.
Following the setback, FIGC president Gabriele Gravina also resigned from his position, which he had held since 2018. Gravina was also UEFA’s first vice-president and a close associate of Aleksander Čeferin.
During Gravina’s tenure, Italy won the UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021), but failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups and was eliminated in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.
Team general manager Gianluigi Buffon has also stepped down from his role.
Read more: World Cup 2026: Martínez plays down results as Portugal focuses on preparation
Four-time world champions Italy (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) have now missed the World Cup three times in a row, each time being eliminated in the playoffs—by Sweden in 2018, North Macedonia in 2022, and now Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Gattuso, born on January 9, 1978, enjoyed a distinguished playing career as a defensive midfielder, notably with AC Milan, where he won two UEFA Champions League titles (2003 and 2007). His greatest achievement came with Italy, winning the 2006 World Cup, earning 73 caps between 2000 and 2010.
As a coach, he managed several clubs including Sion, Palermo, OFI Crete, Pisa, AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia, Marseille, and Hajduk Split.
