Gattuso follows in the footsteps of Gravina and Buffon.The head coach of Italy's national football team, Gennaro Gattuso, left his role on Friday following the Azzurri's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.Gattuso's departure came the day after Gabriele Gravina resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Gianluigi Buffon stood down as the national team's delegation chief. Gattuso's early exit, by mutual agreement with the FIGC, brings to an end a nine-month tenure that concluded with Italy's elimination from World Cup qualification via a penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia on Tuesday. The defeat marked the third consecutive tournament that four-times champions Italy have missed and has led to the wholesale dismantling of the leadership of Italian football.  The FIGC thanked Gattuso and his staff for their "seriousness, dedication and passion" over the preceding nine months.  In a statement, Gattuso said: "With pain in my heart, having not achieved the objective we had set ourselves, I consider my experience on the national team bench concluded. The Azzurri shirt is the most precious thing in football, which is why it is right to facilitate the technical assessments that lie ahead as quickly as possible." Gattuso had been confirmed in the role by Gravina at the press conference immediately following the Bosnia defeat. Italian media were quick to speculate on Gattuso's potential successors, with Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri among the names most prominently discussed. FIGC elections to choose Gravina's successor as federation president are scheduled for 22 June. Photo credit: cristiano barni / Shutterstock.com

The head coach of Italy's national football team, Gennaro Gattuso, left his role on Friday following the Azzurri's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Gattuso's departure came the day after  as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Gianluigi Buffon stood down as the national team's delegation chief. Gattuso's early exit, by mutual agreement with the FIGC, brings to an end a nine-month tenure that concluded with Italy's elimination from World Cup qualification via a  on Tuesday. The defeat marked the third consecutive tournament that four-times champions Italy have missed and has led to the wholesale dismantling of the leadership of Italian football.  The FIGC thanked Gattuso and his staff for their "seriousness, dedication and passion" over the preceding nine months.  In a statement, Gattuso said: "With pain in my heart, having not achieved the objective we had set ourselves, I consider my experience on the national team bench concluded. The Azzurri shirt is the most precious thing in football, which is why it is right to facilitate the technical assessments that lie ahead as quickly as possible." Gattuso had been confirmed in the role by Gravina at the press conference immediately following the Bosnia defeat. Italian media were quick to speculate on Gattuso's potential successors, with Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri among the names most prominently discussed. FIGC elections to choose Gravina's successor as federation president are scheduled for 22 June. Photo credit: cristiano barni / Shutterstock.com