A horror hat trick for the World Cup is in sightItaly’s Gattuso complained of “unacceptable” insults.
For the first time since 1998, Norway qualified for the World Cup and held off Italy in the playoffs. National coach Gennaro Gattuso is really annoyed. The 2021 European champions are again threatened with disaster.
After being humiliated at Milan’s San Siro, Italian national team coach Gennaro Gattuso apologized. “We have to apologize to our fans. It is unacceptable to end this qualifier with such a heavy defeat,” said the 47-year-old after the bitter 1:4 (1:0) defeat against Norway and missing out on direct tickets to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Squadra Azzurra will have to fight for their first World Cup participation since 2014 in the spring via an unpopular route to the playoffs. A horror hat trick is in sight.
Because: The four-time world champion has missed the last two World Cup finals in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018. At that time, Italy also had to qualify for the playoffs – and failed miserably in every match. “In March we certainly have to play differently and be more focused. Congratulations to Norway, we definitely have to face the playoffs in a different way,” said defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo on RaiSport.
Gattuso tries to see the positive side. “We have to remember what we did in the first half against a very good Norwegian team,” stressed the 2006 world champions. But after Pio Esposito took the lead (11th), Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa (63rd), Erling Haaland (78/79) and Jörgen Strand Larsen (90+3) turned things around in front of 70,000 fans. Italy needs a nine-goal win to qualify directly for the World Cup finals.
The draw for the playoffs will take place on Thursday in Zurich. In the March 2026 games, 16 teams will compete for the remaining four tickets in four mini-tournaments with semifinals and finals. Romania, Sweden and Northern Ireland are Italy’s possible opponents in the semifinals. The fourth possible opponent is North Macedonia or Wales depending on the results of Group J.
