For the third consecutive World Cup, Italy will be absent, as they were defeated on penalties by Bosnia and missed out on the tournament, with their last appearance in a World Cup dating back to 2014.
After the match, Gennaro Gattuso appeared teary-eyed and disappointed, apologizing to the fans and emphasizing that his future on the bench is not what matters at this moment.
In detail:
“It’s really a shame, but that’s football. It’s a blow, I’m proud of my players. If someone stabbed me today, there’s no blood, nothing comes out. It hurts, but I feel nothing. This qualification was important for us, for our families, for the players, for the whole and for everyone. I don’t want to talk about the refereeing or anything else. I think it’s unfair, but that’s football.”
I’ve been involved in football for years. Sometimes I’ve celebrated and other times I’ve taken “hits” like today. But it’s hard to digest this. My players surprised me today with their heart, with the dedication they showed on the field. We were in the trenches and knew how to stay in the game. We’re not going to the World Cup for the third time.
I personally apologize because I didn’t succeed. My future? Honestly, talking about my future is not important. Today what mattered was to take Italy to the World Cup. We will hold on to this performance, but it hurts and we are sorry.”