Italy, a new era begins: Gattuso brings back Azzurri pride | OneFootball

The 5-0 victory over Estonia doesn’t solve the standings issues, but it marks a turning point in the spirit of the National Team. The Spalletti era, characterized by apathy and detachment, already seems far away.

Italy, the wind has changed: with Gattuso, the Azzurri pride returns

In Bergamo, Italy did what was necessary: win and improve the goal difference to stay in the race for the 2026 World Cup. But the real sign isn’t in the five goals, but rather in the rediscovered team identity.

As highlighted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, yesterday’s performance gave the Azzurri back that passion and unity that had been missing for some time: the fracture that began during Euro 2024, and was never healed under Spalletti’s management, is now just a bad memory.

The Gattuso imprint: intensity and belonging

Gennaro Gattuso’s National Team looked different from the very first minutes: aggressive without the ball, proactive in attack, united in sacrifice. An attitude that the new head coach, together with an experienced and cohesive staff (with Riccio, Bonucci, and Buffon), was able to transmit in a short time.

“We’ll need confirmation, starting from Monday against Israel, but Gattuso’s first step reverberates with confidence,” writes Luigi Garlando.

Barella’s words: “Finding ourselves again is the priority”

Nicolò Barella, one of the leaders in the locker room, emphasized the new atmosphere created by the coach:

“The key word is finding ourselves again: trust, the desire to represent Italy at our best. With Gattuso we’re working well, he gives us calm and motivation. We want to repay him with quality performances and hunger.”

The Inter midfielder then spoke about playing alongside Tonali and the short-term goals: to score as many goals as possible to improve the goal difference, a key element in the race for the World Cup.

Israel in the crosshairs: confirmation goes through Budapest

On Monday in Budapest, Italy will face Israel in a crucial match for qualification. The victory over Estonia is just a first step: to chase the World Cup, consistency is needed, and above all, the same intensity shown in Bergamo is required.

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