Gattuso: “I will exile myself if Italy fails the World Cup for the third time”

Gattuso: Exile Could Be the Price to Pay if Italy Fails to Qualify for the World Cup

The Italian coach, Gennaro Gattuso, has expressed his concern about the possibility of having to go into exile if the Azzurri fails to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. The 2006 world champion took over the reins of Italy in June and has helped revitalize the team’s aspirations for next year’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 3-0 victory over Israel, obtained on Tuesday, was Italy’s fourth consecutive win under Gattuso’s management, securing a place in the qualification playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.

“I’ll take the credit if I manage to reach the goal, otherwise I’ll go live far from Italy,” declared Gattuso, 47 years old.

Gennaro Gattuso

“I’m already a little far away [with his residence in Marbella, Spain], I will go even further. The consequence is that, I am aware of it.” Italy is three points behind Norway, leader of Group I. The Azzurri will play in Moldova on November 13 and will receive Norway three days later in their last group qualifying match. Gattuso, despite the pressure that comes with coaching the four-time world champions, stated that he feels honored to be in charge of the team.

“I’ve said it before, being here is a dream and it’s true,” Gattuso stated.

Gennaro Gattuso

“There were people with more experience than me, and that’s why I accepted this call with great responsibility. I must thank the Federation, its president [Gabriele Gravina], and [the head of the Italian delegation Gianluigi] Buffon. I didn’t think I would lead the team to 16 goals, but the merit belongs to the players. I have little credit.” “We need to keep going down this path. Yes, we work very hard and sleep very little, but we also do this because when the victories come, it feels really good.”