TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gianluigi Buffon gave a hint that he and coach Gennaro Gattuso will continue to lead the Italian national team at least until June 2026. The statement came after Italy was dramatically eliminated in the 2026 World Cup playoff.
Initially, the team, known as Gli Azzurri, took the lead against Bosnia-Herzegovina with a goal from Moise Kean. However, the situation changed after Alessandro Bastoni received a red card. Bosnia then equalized through Haris Tabakovic before securing the win in a penalty shootout, after two Italian kickers, Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante, failed to fulfill their duties.
President of the Italian Football Federation Gabriele Gravina had previously asked Gattuso and Buffon to remain responsible for the team. However, their future remains unclear. "This is a delicate moment, and we need to take the necessary time to make the right evaluations," Buffon said, as quoted by Football Italia.
He added that the competition season will end in June 2026. Until then, they feel responsible for continuing their duties. "Until then it is only right and fair for us to be available to the Federation, the President, and all those who had faith in me," said Buffon.
Italy is now facing a serious crisis after missing three consecutive World Cups and experiencing a decline in performance at various levels. Nevertheless, Buffon believes there are still positive aspects to the team's performance, especially when they were able to put up a fight despite playing with 10 players. "If you realised something is changing and improving, then I am very happy, because that was one of the objectives we set, but clearly the most important objective was to go to the World Cup," he said.
He acknowledged that this failure is very painful and could potentially affect the clarity in decision-making. "We’ll be here until June, then we’ll see for the rest how the whole thing is tackled," he said.
Gattuso Apologizes
Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso apologized to the supporters after his team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. He admitted responsibility for the failure. Nevertheless, he praised his players for their efforts in difficult conditions against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Gattuso appeared emotional after the match. He believed that his players did not deserve the result, given the effort they had shown on the field. "These lads didn’t deserve this, for the effort, the love, the determination," said Gattuso.
Despite the difficult situation, he admitted to still being proud of his team. "I am still proud of my lads. If you poke me with a dagger today, nothing will come out, my blood is all gone. It was important for the Italian football movement and it feels bad to go out like this," he said, depicting the depth of disappointment he felt.
According to Gattuso, the players' fighting spirit was the most surprising aspect of the match. He considered that his team showed strong character despite being under pressure. "I was surprised too by the sheer heart and determination they showed today. We were there under siege, in the trenches. Yet here we are talking about not making it to the World Cup again," he said.
Gattuso reiterated his apology to the Italian public. "I personally apologise for not having made it, but these lads gave absolutely everything."
When asked about his future, Gattuso refused to give a definite answer. He believed that discussing his future was not relevant at the moment. "I think talking about my future today is not important. What was important was going to the World Cup. We take the performance, but it hurts. We’re disappointed," he said.
Read: Bulgaria Coach Admits Indonesia Gave Tough Fight in 2026 FIFA Series Final
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