Will Gattuso’s Bold Promise Motivate Italy?

The passionate outbursts by Gennaro Gattuso have sparked the debate on passion and responsibility back into Italian football. The new coach of Azzurri, who replaced his predecessor in June, made a very public threat of fleeing Italy should the national team not secure their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026, stating that he will do so in this instance he sounded exactly like his no-nonsense reputation.

Italy has become better off with the four matches it has won under the management of Gattuso, with some goals being goal-oriented, with a shallow 3-0 win over Israel and other matches that have seen it win decisively in the playoffs. This reemergence has given the fans some hope who are still left with the scars of not having attended two consecutive World Cups.

However, Gattuso is not simply talking big, but rather it is a psychological tactic. He has put tremendous pressure on himself by publicly committing his own destiny to the qualification of his team and this has given a call to arms by his players. It is typical Gattuso: rough love mixed with sentimental leadership.

The stakes are enormous. Italy, who comes second in Group I after Norway will play with Moldova and Norway, where the future of these countries will be decided. The country is nervous, keeping the tragedies of 2018 and 2022 in mind.

To Gattuso, success lies not only in his profession but also in a very personal one. He confessed to taking this job seriously, but there were more experienced coaches. His gratitude to the federation and Gianluigi Buffon shows that he is aware of the pressure of leaving a legacy.

If Italy does, Gattuso will be the savior who returns the glory. Otherwise, his vow to live a faraway life could be turned into a bitter truth. In any case, his daring has brought back one of the things that have long been lacking in Italian football: faith.