Rabat – The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has confirmed the appointment of former midfield enforcer Gennaro Gattuso as head coach for the Italian national team, replacing Luciano Spalletti.
The appointment came just nine days after a 3-0 World Cup qualifier defeat against Norway. The 47-year-old coach accepted a 12-month contract that runs through the 2026 World Cup. His formal presentation is set for June 19 at Rome’s Parco dei Principi hotel.
Gattuso steps in to replace Spalletti, whose 22-month period took Italy to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals but failed to win just one game from their first two in World Cup qualifiers. The federation had initially approached Claudio Ranieri, but he declined and decided to stay as the head coach of Roma.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina praised Gattuso, saying, that the new coach is “a symbol of Italian football—the blue jersey is like a second skin for him. His motivation, professionalism, and experience will be fundamental to face the upcoming challenges”.
Gattuso is widely regarded as one of Italy’s finest midfielders, having played a key role in winning the World Cup in 2006 before moving into coaching in 2013.
Gattuso managed nine clubs, most notably Milan and Napoli, where he won the 2020 Coppa Italia, before moving to Valencia and later Marseille, where his spells weren’t successful.
Gattuso’s first squad list is expected in late August, as all eyes turn to him to guide Italy back to the World Cup and prevent a third consecutive miss from the tournament.
