Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has acknowledged feeling nervous before Thursday's World Cup playoff semi-final against Northern Ireland. The Azzurri seek to reach the tournament for the first time in 12 years. Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has been ruled out of the match.
Gennaro Gattuso, Italy's national team coach and a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad, spoke candidly about the pressure facing his side ahead of the semi-final playoff in Bergamo. 'It’s undeniable that there’s nervousness,' Gattuso said. 'Only someone without blood running through their veins wouldn’t feel it. But we need to do a good job of transmitting a lot of positivity.' A win would advance Italy to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a spot in this summer's tournament. Italy previously won the World Cup in 2006 and the European Championship in 2021 but have missed the last two editions. Gattuso emphasized focus, stating, 'There are no alibis. ... The only thing we should be thinking about is Thursday’s game. Forget that we’ve won four World Cups, two Euros and an Olympic title. For us, the only game is Thursday’s.' Separately, Federico Chiesa left the squad on Monday after assessment at the Federal Technical Centre deemed him unavailable for the next two matches. The Italian Football Federation confirmed Bologna winger Nicolo Cambiaghi as his replacement. Gattuso noted, 'On a physical level, he had a few problems and we decided that there was no point in him staying.' Chiesa, who has not played for Italy in nearly two years, had previously declined a national team call-up in November, prompting Gattuso to say at the time, 'I must respect what the player tells me.' The match pits Italy against Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side.
