Italy and Gennaro Gattuso 'mutually terminate' coach's contract
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Italy and manager Gennaro Gattuso have mutually agreed to terminate his contract following Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time after losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties.
- Gattuso, who took over in June and won six of eight matches, expressed deep regret and acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat, stating it was time for new technical evaluations for the national team.
- The disappointment coincides with the resignation of Italy's football association president Gabriele Gravina and former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stepping down as delegation head.
- Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, last appeared in the tournament in 2014, marking an unprecedented absence from three consecutive World Cups for a former winner.
- Several candidates, including Massimiliano Allegri, Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Fabio Cannavaro, and Stefano Pioli, are being considered as potential successors to lead the national team.
