How did this football powerhouse end up like this?

Italy national football team Director General Gianluigi Buffon (47) said on the 15th (Korea time) at the U-21 European Championship held in Slovakia regarding the appointment of Coach Gattuso, "We have already completed a lot of preparations, and now we only have the final details left. In the end, I think we made the best choice." This effectively formalized the appointment of Coach Gattuso.

The coaching position that Gattuso will take over was held by Coach Spalletti since August 2023. He was the leader who achieved Serie A victory with SSC Napoli in 33 years, alongside players like Kim Min-jae, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Victor Osimhen, and was selected as the head coach of the national team to restore the pride of Italian football.

The national team stage was different. Coach Spalletti quickly packed his bags after suffering a 0-2 defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 16 of Euro 2024, and in the subsequent first match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup European qualifiers Group I, he experienced a shocking 0-3 loss to Norway.

Italy joined the qualifying schedule late due to UEFA Nations League commitments, but with Norway already accumulating 9 points from 3 consecutive wins, Italy, starting with 0 points, finds itself in a situation where challenging for the first place in the group, which guarantees direct qualification to the finals, has become virtually impossible. Even securing second place is necessary to have a chance at the playoffs, yet Spalletti left without even opening that possibility.

Before the friendly match against Moldova on the 9th, Spalletti noted, "The president of the Italian Football Federation informed me of my dismissal. It was disappointing," and added, "However, I had no intention of stepping down, and I will take responsibility until the match against Moldova." However, he parted ways with the national team after the match.

Italy is a traditional powerhouse that has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), but it has experienced a dark period, missing the finals twice in a row (2018, 2022) since 2006. Although it seemed to bounce back with the victory in Euro 2020, it still cannot escape stagnation on the World Cup stage.

The Italy national team won the Euro championship under Coach Roberto Mancini, but has been undergoing turmoil since failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. After Coach Mancini resigned for a lucrative salary promised by Saudi Arabia, Coach Spalletti was appointed but had to leave the team in disgrace.

Expectations for the new coach do not meet fans' hopes. The likely successor, Gattuso, was the backbone of Italy's midfield during his playing days, known as the 'warrior' as he roamed the battlefield, and is also a member of the 2006 World Cup winning team. As a coach, he has led teams like AC Milan, Napoli, and Valencia but has not left an impressive mark.

Despite being such a coach, Gattuso's appointment as the head of Italy can be attributed to the lack of other coaching candidates. Simone Inzaghi, who has the best record among Italian nationality coaches, is also likely heading to Saudi Arabia. In many aspects, the World Cup struggles of the football powerhouse Azzurri are becoming a situation of urgency.

[OSEN]