Gennaro Gattuso, the 'star of the 2006 World Cup victory,' has been appointed as the new head coach of the Italy national football team.
The Italian Football Federation officially announced on the 15th (Korea time) the appointment of Gattuso as the team manager.
The federation, which had been searching for a successor after the dismissal of coach Luciano Spalletti due to poor performance on the 9th, chose Gattuso, who recently parted ways with Croatia's Hajduk Split.
During his playing days, Gattuso made a name for himself as a defensive midfielder known for his aggressive pressing, high work rate, and precise positioning. He appeared in 73 matches for the Italy national team and played a key role in the midfield, leading the team to its fourth World Cup victory in 2006.
He transitioned to coaching in 2011, beginning with Switzerland's Sion and went on to manage Italy's Palermo, AC Milan, Napoli, Spain's Valencia, France's Marseille, and Croatia's Hajduk Split. Now, with his extensive experience in European club teams, he is set to lead the Italy national team.
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian Football Federation, noted, "Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football. The national team jersey is like a second skin to him," adding, "His motivation, passion, professionalism, and rich experience will be a great asset for the challenges ahead. Gattuso understands the importance of our goal well, and I appreciate his determination and commitment."
Italy has a storied reputation as a football powerhouse, having won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), but has struggled in recent years. The team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2010 South Africa tournament with two draws and one loss, and in the 2014 Brazil tournament with one win and two losses.
Since then, Italy has failed to qualify for the finals in the 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar tournaments.
On the 7th, Italy suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat to Norway in their first match of the UEFA qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, but on the 10th, they defeated Moldova 2-0, currently sitting in third place in Group I (1 win, 1 loss, 3 points). Both matches were managed by Spalletti, who was dismissed shortly after the match against Moldova.
Norway, having played two more matches than Italy, is leading the group with four consecutive wins (12 points).
In the UEFA qualifiers for the North and Central America World Cup, the top team from each of the 12 groups will qualify directly for the finals. The top 12 teams finishing second in the groups and the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League will compete for the remaining four final tickets in an additional round.
Over the remaining six matches, the priority for Italy under Gattuso is to surpass Norway and rise to first place in Group I.
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