Gattuso leaves Italy job after World Cup woe
Why it matters: Italy, a four-time champion, will miss its third consecutive World Cup, leading to a leadership vacuum in the FIGC.
- Gennaro Gattuso departed as Italy boss by mutual consent on Friday, taking responsibility for the team finishing second in their qualifying group and losing the playoff final to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and head of delegation Gianluigi Buffon stepped down the day after Italy's playoff defeat, with Buffon stating it was "an act of responsibility" due to not achieving the main objective of returning Italy to the World Cup.
- Italy became the first former champions to miss three consecutive World Cups (Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and the upcoming tournament), a point highlighted by CBS Sports and the main article.
- Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy's goalkeeper, reportedly "cried because of sadness" over the World Cup failure, underscoring the emotional impact on players.
Gennaro Gattuso has resigned as Italy's national team coach by mutual consent, expressing "pain in his heart" after the Azzurri's historic failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, a sentiment echoed by the earlier resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and head of delegation Gianluigi Buffon, who both cited a lack of success in their primary objective.
