Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso resigned as head coach of the Italian national team in early April 2026, confirming what had been inevitable after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 31 March, missing the World Cup for a third consecutive time. His departure, confirmed within days of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina's own resignation, completed a total collapse of the Azzurri hierarchy. Reports revealed he had held fewer than 15 training sessions with his squad across ten months, a figure that became the defining indictment of a chaotic tenure.

Gattuso built his reputation as a ferociously combative midfielder at AC Milan, winning two Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies, as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy. After retiring he moved into management, coaching Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia and Marseille with mixed results, rarely staying beyond a single season at any club. His appointment as Azzurri manager in August 2025 was considered a gamble given his inconsistent club record, though his playing pedigree with the national team lent him some political capital inside Italian football.

The elimination has opened a full crisis in Italian football governance. Italy now face a structural reckoning with their youth development pipeline and national team administration. Silvio Baldini, the current Italy Under-21 coach, has been linked with the interim head coach role while FIGC elections on 22 June 2026 determine the federation's new leadership. Italy have not appeared at a World Cup since 2014 Brazil, a 16-year absence set to extend at least to 2030.