Italy's World Cup qualification hopes hang by a thread after a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Norway at San Siro, exposing what head coach Gennaro Gattuso described as his team's "fear and fragility." The loss confirms Italy's place in the fraught playoff system, raising the spectre of missing a third consecutive World Cup tournament.
Mathematical Miracle Turns to Nightmare
Heading into Sunday's crucial Geopolitics World Cup qualifier, Italy needed nothing short of a footballing miracle - victory by nine clear goals against a Norwegian side that had conceded only four in their previous seven qualifiers. Instead, the Azzurri suffered their heaviest defeat of the campaign, collapsing in the second half in what Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport likened to "snow melting in the sun."
The result leaves Italy facing the playoff route once again, a path that has proven disastrous in recent campaigns with failures against Sweden and North Macedonia eliminating them from the past two World Cups. Remarkably, this crisis comes just years after Italy's triumphant European Championship victory, highlighting the stereotypical Italian craziness of their current predicament.
Gattuso's Controversial Rant Backfires
Even before the match, Gattuso appeared to be preparing excuses, using his pre-match press conference to launch an extraordinary attack on the World Cup qualification system. The Italy coach railed against what he perceives as unfairness that European heavyweights like Italy - who have won six of their eight qualifiers - face playoffs while teams from other FIFA regions can qualify with significantly poorer records.
Gattuso particularly courted controversy with comments about African teams, noting the increase from two World Cup places in his playing days to nine in the expanded tournament. Many observers across the continent and beyond considered his remarks Eurocentric, dismissive and downright offensive.
"It's not a question for me, but it is for whoever draws up the rules and the groups," Gattuso claimed, before proceeding to answer the question he insisted wasn't his to address. "We've got 18 points, won six games, and still we have to go into another two matches to qualify. It doesn't seem right."
Growing Pressure on Vibes-Based Management
Criticism is mounting against Gattuso's leadership style and tactical approach. The former midfield enforcer replaced the more cerebral Luciano Spalletti just two games into Italy's qualifying campaign and has always conveyed the impression of being more comfortable with motivational techniques than tactical sophistication.
Where Spalletti used the tactics board as an educational tool, Gattuso has built his reputation on passion and intensity. This vibes-based management approach is now under serious scrutiny after the Norway collapse.
Prominent Italy supporter Gab Marcotti encapsulated the growing discontent, stating on a recent podcast: "Between having a not good coach who is Gattuso and a not good coach who is somebody else, I will pick somebody else. Because you need to send a message that this is not who we want to represent us at this stage."
With Italy's playoff place confirmed for March, questions now surround whether Gattuso will still be in charge to oversee what could become another humiliating physical and mental disintegration when qualification hopes are on the line once more.
The image of Gattuso and Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon belting out the national anthem before the Norway game now stands in stark contrast to the disappointment that followed, symbolising the gap between Italian passion and their current footballing reality.
