Gennaro Gattuso: The new hope for the Azzurri!

Gennaro Gattuso: The new hope for the Azzurri!

A new wind is blowing through the Italian national football team: Gianluigi Buffon, the team coordinator, has officially confirmed the obligation of Gennaro Gattuso as a new coach. This decision follows the dismissal of Luciano Spalletti after a disappointing 0: 3 defeat against Norway. Buffon commented on this step during a live switch of the broadcaster Rai, where he also went into the game of the U21 against Slovakia. "The signature of Gattuso is only a formality," said the former goalkeeper of the Squadra Azzurra, which underlined the positive development regarding the coaching question.

Gattuso, 47 years old, was a coach at Hajduk Split until the beginning of June and can now prepare for a new chapter in his career. He had previously trained well -known clubs such as AC Milan, SSC Naples, FC Valencia and Olympique Marseille. His return to the big football stage follows after several other candidates such as Claudio Ranieri and Stefano Pioli canceled. The decision was not easy for the Italian association, but Buffon emphasized that a trainer from Italy preferred and sees Gattuso as the best possible choice.

The qualification for the 2026 World Cup

Italy faces a challenge. In the coming months, the team will have to prepare for the qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The Squadra Azzurra is struggling to secure its third World Cup participation in a row after recently reaching the 2014 World Cup. After the mixed start of the qualification, Gattuso's experience will be particularly important to get the team back on track.

The talks between Gattuso and Buffon, which took place in Rome, were positive and finally ended up in the agreement on the coaching position. This was also the decisive factor for FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, who confirmed the final agreement the next morning. Gattuso is initially obliged for a year, which should enable him to grow with the team and get used to the challenges of the upcoming qualification games.

Buffon's statement on the choice of Gattuso makes it clear that you had a good knack for this important step. It remains to be hoped that Gattuso can successfully lead the team with its commitment and bring the Italian football soul back. His return to the big stage could be exactly the fresh perspective that the Squadra Azzurra needs.

The following time will show how Gattuso deals with this challenge and whether he can bring the Italian national team back on the road to success, while the preparations for the World Cup qualifications slowly take off.