Will 'risky' Gattuso lead Italy back to World Cup?

Champions. Group Stage. Group Stage. Did not qualify. Did not qualify.

Since winning the World Cup for the fourth time in 2006, Italy's record at football's biggest tournament has been dismal.

Despite winning the delayed Euros in 2021, Italy have not even qualified for a World Cup since 2014, which feels staggering for a nation of their stature.

Now, Gennaro Gattuso, a midfielder from the 2006 side who has managed 10 clubs in 12 years, has been tasked with ending the wait to return to the biggest stage.

He leads his side against Northern Ireland in a play-off semi-final on Thursday, 26 March, with the winners taking on Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina on 31 March for a place at this summer's tournament.

Italy's bid to reach the 2026 World Cup was only one game in when Luciano Spalletti announced he had been sacked as manager in June 2025.

Daniele Verri, an Italian football journalist, said "there weren't many options" to replace Spalletti, who guided his country to an underwhelming last-16 finish at Euro 2024.

Spalletti had led Napoli to the Serie A title before landing the Italian job, but Verri said players "were confused" by an overload of information and that played a role in his departure.

Claudio Ranieri was considered but talks did not progress, and former AC Milan midfielder Gattuso was seen as the most realistic option.

Prior to Spalletti, serial winner Roberto Mancini led Italy to European glory but missed out on the 2022 World Cup after a shock play-off defeat by North Macedonia.

He left the role in 2023 under a cloud, something Verri said he "regretted" before swiftly moving to Saudi Arabia.

Since managing Sion in 2013, Gattuso has had spells with Palermo, OFI, Pisa, Milan, Valencia, Marseille and Hajduk Split.

None, however, lasted more than two years.

He did win the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020, but Verri admits his appointment as national team manager in June 2025 felt "risky".

Gianluigi Buffon, regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, is Italy's technical delegate and put "all his cards" on his World Cup winning team-mate.

"Gattuso has the charisma, the popularity and is a known face as a world champion," Verri said.

"He doesn't bring that much experience for a national team like Italy, but they took a man who has the right motivation to do well.

"I think that is why Gattuso was chosen, to bring back that right attitude that he has always shown when wearing the AC Milan and Italy shirt."

Gattuso's record currently stands at five wins from six matches, but that was not good enough to automatically qualify for the World Cup as they missed out to group winners Norway.

Despite dropping into the play-off, Verri feels that Gattuso is "doing a good job" and said "the manager can't fix everything".

Verri added that "it's not by chance" that Italy had not qualified for the last two World Cups, both of which came after play-off defeats by Sweden and North Macedonia.

"Our team is not bad, but the quality and standard of Italian football, for whatever reason, is not the same as it used to be," he said.

"They are not producing talents, playing slow football at club level, or clubs don't progress in Europe. It's a wider problem.

"Gattuso alone cannot fix all of these problems. He has to work to with who is available, and get the most out of it.

"From that point of view, he's doing his job."

Ahead of the play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland, Gattuso had tried to arrange a training camp but, for various reasons, that did not come to fruition - something Verri says is a "pity".

Instead, he visited all the players in his wider squad, from those in England and in Italy, all the way to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

His goal, says Verri, was to discuss his "hopes and expectations" for the national team.

For a player known for his passion on the pitch, Gattuso hopes to use this camaraderie and personal approach to change Italy's fortunes with him at the helm.

"This is the way he wants to build spirit, and he has done well," Verri added.

"I'm sure he would have loved more time to spend with his players, not only in training but also in the evening with videos and discussing opponents, and being with the boys and make his presence felt."

Along with World Cup winners Buffon and Gattuso, Euro 2020 winner and former captain Leonardo Bonucci joined Italy's coaching team.

"These are players who have won something important. They are trying to take responsibility," Verri said.

"Buffon trusts him. He knows Gattuso has the grit, mentality and personality to lead the group."

After their play-off heartbreak for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Italy face another nerve-wracking route to the finals.

No former winner of the World Cup has missed out on the finals three times in a row. Italy must do it the hard way if they are to avoid an unwanted piece of history.

The Azzurri host Northern Ireland - a tie they will be favourites to win - in Bergamo on 26 March, and the winner of that semi-final will visit Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina in their bid to qualify for the finals, where they would join co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar in Group B.

"It won't be easy, not at all," sad Verri, who added there is an issue "with the speed of the game" in Italy.

"I don't think Northern Ireland are a better side than Italy, but it will not be easy with their speed and determination, and it would not be easy against Wales or Bosnia.

"We definitely have the quality to go through, but we have to be careful in a one-off game."

For Gattuso, the play-off could also define whether he is the long-term option for one of Europe's heavyweights.

Lose and "it could be time to rethink again", but win and he could be the "hero" who brought Italy back to the biggest stage.

"Italy have four World Cups, so there is still an expectation to be competitive in every game," Verri said.

"People cannot be happy with the situation and how it is, but it's not with Gattuso.

"If he doesn't qualify then it might be tricky for him, but if we qualify we would be very happy and Gattuso would be much beloved in the country."