Italy's football federation is searching for a new head coach after Gennaro Gattuso stepped down following the Azzurri's failure to qualify for the World Cup. The four-time world champions lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in a playoff on Tuesday, meaning they have missed three consecutive World Cups.
Gattuso's departure came after a tumultuous week that saw federation president Gabriele Gravina resign and Gianluigi Buffon step down as national team delegation head. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also warned that Italy risked losing its co-hosting rights for Euro 2032 due to poor stadium infrastructure.
Six contenders are being considered for the role, including former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 glory, and current Under-21 coach Paolo Nicolato. Others in the frame are Antonio Conte, who won the Premier League with Chelsea, and former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri. Luciano Spalletti, sacked after Italy's 3-0 defeat to Norway last June, and current Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano are also mentioned.
Gattuso, who previously managed Napoli, Milan, Fiorentina, and Marseille, said in a statement: 'With a heavy heart, having failed to achieve the goal we had set ourselves, I consider my time in charge of the national team to be over.' He added that the Azzurri shirt is 'the most precious asset in football' and that it was right to facilitate future technical assessments.
The Italian federation is expected to appoint a new manager before the end of the year, with the next international break scheduled for March 2024.
