A clean break after the Bosnia defeat
Rino Gattuso has officially ended his spell in charge of Italy. The Italian Football Federation confirmed that his contract with the national team has been terminated by mutual consent, following the defeat in Bosnia and the failure to secure qualification for the World Cup. Because apparently even the Azzurri cannot escape the arithmetic of results.
In a statement released by the FIGC, Gattuso said: "With pain in my heart, having not achieved the goal we had set ourselves, I believe my experience on the national team bench is over."
He added that it was right to make room immediately for future technical decisions, calling the Azzurri shirt "the most precious thing there is in football." That is a fair description, and one that tends to matter more when the results are not cooperating.
Gattuso thanked FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, Gianluigi Buffon, and the federation staff for the trust and support they had shown him. "It has been an honor to lead the national team, and to do so with a group of players who showed commitment and attachment to the shirt," he said.
He also reserved his biggest thanks for the fans. "My greatest thanks go to the supporters, to all the Italians who in recent months have never failed to show their love and support for the national team. Always with blue in my heart," Gattuso said.
His departure now clears the way for Italy’s next technical evaluation, after a campaign that ended in disappointment and, as these things usually do, a great deal of reflection from everyone involved.
