Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed as the new head coach of the Italian national team, replacing Luciano Spalletti following Italy’s poor start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The 47-year-old, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006 and capped 73 times during his playing career, will be officially unveiled on Thursday, the Italian football federation (FIGC) announced.
“Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football,” said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
“The blue shirt is like a second skin for him. His motivation, professionalism, and experience will be essential. He is fully aware of the importance of the goal we want to achieve, and I thank him for the total dedication with which he accepted this challenge.”
Italy, four-time world champions, have failed to qualify for the past two editions of the World Cup. Their latest campaign began with a 3-0 defeat to Norway, and Spalletti was dismissed shortly after, with Monday’s win over Moldova being his final match in charge.
Gattuso, who was most recently in charge of Croatian side Hajduk Split, guided them to qualification for next season’s UEFA Conference League. His coaching résumé includes stints at AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia, and Marseille.
