‘Heartbreaking’, says Gattuso on Gaza ahead of Italy v Israel clash | OneFootball

The coach of the Italy national team, Gennaro Gattuso, stated this Tuesday that the war in Gaza is “heartbreaking,” but that his team cannot withdraw from the match against Israel in a week, as part of the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The national team will play on Saturday night in Tallinn against Estonia, but all eyes are on the clash against the Israelis next Tuesday in Italy, where the movement in support of the Palestinians has gained momentum and many are calling for the national team not to play this match.

“We know we have to play, otherwise we will lose 3-0 [by forfeit]. But I reiterate: it is very sad to see what happens to these innocent people, these children. It breaks the heart to see all this,” Gattuso declared in a press conference.

Italy was the scene last weekend of some of the largest protests in Europe against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

Last Friday, in support of the Palestinians, protesters approached the Italian national team's training center in Florence to demand that the game against Israel be canceled. Other demonstrations are announced for next Tuesday in Udine, where the match will take place.

A strong security scheme will be deployed around the Friuli Stadium, although there has been little demand for tickets.

“The atmosphere will not be calm, because there will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and between 5,000 and 6,000 inside,” predicts Gattuso.

“We want to qualify for the World Cup and I would prefer to play this game at home, in front of an excited crowd like it was a month ago in Bergamo [in the 5-0 victory over Estonia],” he added.

Italy, which did not participate in the last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, is in second place in Group I of the Qualifiers with nine points, tied with Israel. The leader is Norway (15 points), which has one more game.

Only the first in the group guarantees a direct spot in next year's World Cup, which will be jointly organized by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The runners-up in each group will have to compete in a playoff.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.