Gattuso Departs Italy, Prospective Successors Pile Up | OneFootball

The purge at the top continues following another Italy World Cup debacle, as Gianluigi Buffon resigned shortly after federal president Gabriele Gravina, while Gennaro Gattuso agreed to a mutual parting of the ways a day later.

According to La Repubblica, the coach was under contract only until July. The option to extend and a €1M bonus were tied to the World Cup qualification. He lasted only eight games.

Gattuso didn’t make excuses or find alibis, even though he could have, given some questionable referee calls in Bosnia and the fact that Serie A never threw Italy a bone in recent years.

Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte have quickly emerged as strong options for the opening. Both have been rumored to stay put, but have some lingering issues with their sides and don’t have long-term deals. Simone Inzaghi and Roberto Mancini are in the mix as well. The former’s sojourn in Saudi Arabia hasn’t gone great. The latter has been pining to return for years.

Our Take on Italy and Gattuso

The chatter is rather baseless, considering it’s unknown who will be calling the shots. The fact that the new head will be installed in late June creates an odd dynamic when it comes to the hiring. Teams must have certainties long before that date. Some gaffers might even become a ticket with some presidential candidates. The Federation doesn’t seem strong enough to lure high-end coaches under contract with top clubs. The impetus would have to come directly from them. Despite the ending, the Azzurri reacted well to his style of coaching and temperament. The only one who combines that grittiness with a better resume and more tactical savviness is Conte.