Gattuso leaves Italy job after World Cup woe

Italy have parted ways with head coach Gennaro Gattuso after the national team failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup, according to multiple reports and the FIGC’s latest moves around the team.

Reporters said the exit is by mutual consent and follows Italy’s playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, which sealed another painful miss for the four-time world champions.

The fallout around the national team widened this week. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina resigned on April 2, and Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down as head of delegation, saying it was the responsible thing to do after the World Cup failure.

Gattuso’s departure adds to a period of upheaval at the top of Italian football as the federation begins to reset after the latest qualifying disappointment. The FIGC has not yet announced a replacement.

The next phase for Italy is expected to focus on rebuilding the coaching setup and deciding how to respond to one of the most damaging qualifying exits in the country’s recent history.