Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything” | OneFootball

Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything” | OneFootball

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·16. November 2025

Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything”

Artikelbild:Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything”
Artikelbild:Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything”

Emiliano Martínez sets Gattuso straight: “Europe doesn't see everything”

After Italy's 2-0 win over Moldova, Gennaro Gattuso once again made headlines. Frustrated with the European qualification system, the Italian coach denounced what he called an “unfair” format for teams from the Old Continent.


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According to him, Europe is at a disadvantage compared to South America, where six out of ten teams qualify directly for the World Cup and the seventh plays a playoff against Oceania:

Seeing that six South American nations qualify so easily, it leaves you baffled. This all needs to be reviewed.

His comments quickly crossed the Atlantic. Emiliano Martínez wasted no time in firing back.In an interview with DSports, the Argentine goalkeeper hit back at the Italian, pointing to a reality he believes Gattuso ignores:

There are things Europe doesn't understand. Over there, they always play on perfect pitches. They have no idea what South America is like, no idea what it means to play here.

A clear reminder: South American teams have to deal with long journeys, tricky pitches, extreme weather, and sometimes even altitude—as in Bolivia, where every match becomes a physical battle. Emi Martínez's remarks should give Gattuso something to think about.

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