A teary-eyed Gennaro Gattuso apologised to the nation after the Italy national football team failed to qualify for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup, following a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
The playoff clash at Stadion Bilino Polje ended in heartbreak for the four-time champions, who went down 4-1 on penalties after a hard-fought contest finished level at the end of extra time. Italy had taken an early lead but were reduced to 10 men before half-time, a setback that shifted the momentum in Bosnia’s favour.
Bosnia found the equaliser in the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic rose above the Italian defence to head past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite creating chances and holding firm for large parts of the game, Italy could not find a winner, and the tie eventually went to penalties.
Misses from Francesco Esposito and Bryan Cristante proved costly as Bosnia converted with confidence to seal their place, leaving Italy stunned and eliminated.
GATTUSO APOLOGISES AFTER EXIT
Speaking after the match, Gattuso expressed his disappointment and apologised to supporters, insisting the result was hard to accept given his team’s performance.
“I don’t want to talk about anything else right now,” he said. “Today it’s unfair. We wanted to go to the World Cup, and that was what mattered most. I’m sorry.”
Gattuso defended his players, pointing out that they had competed well despite going down to 10 men and had limited Bosnia’s chances for much of the contest.
“The boys didn’t deserve this. We had our chances and they didn’t trouble us much. But this is football. It’s a blow that is very difficult to digest,” he added.
FIGC BACKS GATTUSO AND BUFFON
Despite the historic setback, the Italian Football Federation has thrown its support behind Gattuso. Federation president Gabriele Gravina confirmed that both the head coach and Gianluigi Buffon, who now holds a managerial role within the setup, have been asked to continue.
“I’ve asked him to stay and asked Buffon to remain in charge of the football side,” Gravina said.
Italy’s failure to qualify for three consecutive World Cups marks an unprecedented low for one of football’s most decorated nations. The Azzurri last appeared at the tournament in 2014 in Brazil, where they exited in the group stage.
Their last triumph came in 2006, when they defeated France, led by Zinedine Zidane, on penalties. Since then, however, Italian football has struggled to maintain its traditional dominance on the global stage, with this latest setback raising further questions about the future direction of the national team.
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