Gennaro Gattuso will be Italy's next national coach. © ANSA / Biel Alino / Gr

Gattuso new Italy coach: The background

Gianluigi Buffon, team coordinator of the Italian national team, has confirmed the upcoming appointment of former teammate Gennaro Gattuso as coach of the Squadra Azzurra.

June 15, 2025

From: cst/dpa

"I believe that in the end we made the best possible choice," he said, according to Italian media reports, in a live broadcast by RAI to the U21 team after Italy's European Championship match against host nation Slovakia.

Speculation about Gattuso's involvement has been rife for days. The 47-year-old, who was known for his combative and aggressive style of play during his own professional career, is currently without a coaching job. Until the beginning of this month, he worked for Hajduk Split. He has also previously coached Milan and Napoli, as well as Valencia and Olympique Marseille.

Gattuso was not the number one candidate

"We have been working and continue to work, we are waiting for the final details," emphasized Buffon, also 47 years old and, among others, in goal for Italy during the 2006 World Cup triumph, including with Gattuso at the finals in Germany. "We had quite busy days with the president and the entire association, full of all kinds of moments." The signature is just a formality, he wrote. La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Gigi Buffon and Rino Gattuso together at the training camp in Austria. © ANSA / ETTORE FERRARI

Following the premature departure of Luciano Spalletti, preferred candidate Claudio Ranieri turned down the association. The names of the 2006 World Cup winners, as well as those of Fabio Cannavaro (most recently Dinamo Zagreb) and Daniele De Rossi (most recently Roma), quickly came into consideration.

Why the choice fell on an Italian coach

"We're starting where we always started after the dark moments, trying to think about our role and what's required of the players and the coaches," Buffon explained. They wanted to avoid a coach who isn't Italian.

The contract is expected to be signed shortly. It is expected to run for only one year. Currently, Italy is still worried about its participation in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. "Gattuso and the Plan to Save Italy" has already written La Repubblica.