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

Gattuso: “I will leave Italy if we don’t qualify for the World Cup”

The Italian coach, Gennaro Gattuso, has expressed his concern about the possibility of Italy failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, indicating that he might be forced to live in exile if this happens. Gattuso, who took over in June, has revitalized Italy’s hopes for next year’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 3-0 victory over Israel on Tuesday was Italy’s fourth consecutive win under Gattuso, securing a place in the qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup. I’ll take the credit if I achieve the goal, otherwise I’ll go live far from Italy.

Currently, Italy is three points behind Norway, the leader of Group I. The azzurri will play against Moldova on November 13 and will receive Norway three days later in their last group qualifying match. Despite the pressure that comes with leading the four-time world champions, Gattuso feels honored to be in charge. Gattuso added:

I’ve said it before, it’s a dream to be here and it’s true. There were people with more experience than me, and that’s why I accepted this call with great responsibility. I have to 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 is the players’. I have little credit.

Gennaro Gattuso

“We need to continue down this path. Yes, we work very hard and sleep very little, but we also do this because when the victories come, it feels very good.”