Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurri failing to reach a third straight World Cup continued to send shockwaves through Italian football.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso was emotional and apologetic after his side suffered a playoff penalty shootout loss in Bosnia on Tuesday, to miss out on their third successive World Cup, but he refused to talk about his future.

As Italian football fans worry that their national team might miss out on a third straight World Cup in Tuesday's play-off decider with Bosnia and Herzegovina, moves are afoot to take the Azzurri back to the top.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso dismissed concerns over pitch conditions and the atmosphere his side would face in Bosnia for their World Cup playoff final, saying he had never conceded a goal to a fan.

Italy battled past Northern Ireland but didn't shine against a team which was largely made up of lower league players.

Italy are hoping to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup as one of the planet's most important footballing nations heads to the qualifying play-offs in the midst of another identity crisis.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has called for composure ahead of Italy’s World Cup playoff semi-final against Northern Ireland on Thursday, urging his players to block out the trauma of past failures.

The Italians are seeking to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 after missing the last two tournaments in Russia and Qatar, both following playoff defeats.

Frustrated Italy fans streamed out of the San Siro, bracing for more World Cup playoff drama, after their team slumped to a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Norway on Sunday in their last qualifier.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Monday called for "maximum commitment" from his side as the Azzurri's bid to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup is no longer in their hands.

Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso recalled midfielder Bryan Cristante when he named his squad on Friday ahead of this month's World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Israel, but Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has again been left out.

Gennaro Gattuso enjoyed his start to life as Italy coach on Friday as his team beat Estonia 5-0 to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track, while Kylian Mbappe struck as France began their bid with a win against Ukraine.

Gennaro Gattuso was named Italy's new coach on Sunday and will be tasked with helping the Azzurri qualify for the 2026 World Cup after replacing Luciano Spalletti.