A tearful Gennaro Gattuso apologized to the nation after Italy’s national soccer team failed to qualify for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
The play-off match at the Bilino Polje Stadium ended heartily for the four-time champions. which lost 4-1 on penalties finished at the end of overtime after a hard-fought battle. Italy took an early lead but were reduced to 10 men before half-time, a setback that swung the momentum in Bosnia’s favour.
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Bosnia found an equalizer in the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic rose above the Italian defense to head past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite creating chances and holding firm for much of the game, Italy couldn’t find a winner and the tie eventually went to penalties.
Misses from Francesco Esposito and Bryan Cristante proved costly as Bosnia confidently converted to secure their place and leave Italy stunned and out.
GATTUSO APOLOGIZES AFTER EXIT
Gattuso expressed his disappointment after the match and apologized to the fans, insisting that the result was difficult to accept given his team’s performance.
“I don’t want to talk about anything else right now,” he said. “It’s unfair today. We wanted to go to the World Cup and that was the most important thing. I’m sorry.”
Gattuso defended his players, pointing out that they competed well despite going down to 10 men and limiting Bosnia’s chances for most of the match.
“The boys didn’t deserve this. We had our chances and they didn’t bother us much. But that’s football. It’s a blow that’s very hard to swallow,” he added.
FIGC THREATENS GATTUSO AND BUFFON
Despite the historic setback, the Italian Football Federation threw its support behind Gattuso. Federation president Gabriele Gravina confirmed that both the head coach and Gianluigi Buffon, who now holds a managerial role in the squad, have been asked to continue.
“I asked him to stay and I asked Buffon to stay 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’s last appearance at the tournament was in 2014 in Brazil, where they made it to the group stage.
Their last triumph came in 2006 when they beat Zinedine Zidane’s France 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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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
01 April 2026 23:25 IST
