Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time could lead to a comprehensive reform. The future of head coach Gennaro Gattuso is also being questioned after the bitter defeat to Bosnia Herzegovina in the play-off match.
Bosnia won on penalties in the play-off final, thereby extending the gloomy days of the Italian team, when Azzurri has not participated in the World Cup since 2014. Gattuso and assistant Gianluigi Buffon only took over the team after Luciano Spalletti was sacked in June 2025, when Italy was already far behind Norway in the qualifying group. However, they could not reverse the situation to take the team to the US, Canada and Mexico this summer.
After the defeat to Bosnia, Buffon said that he and Gattuso will continue to lead the national team in the short term, but nothing is guaranteed for the next stage.
This is a very sensitive time and we need enough time to make correct assessments. Clearly the sports season will end in June, so by that time, the right and fair thing is that we must be ready to serve the Federation, the President and all those who have trusted us. We will be here until June, then we will consider how to solve the whole problem" - Buffon said at the post-match press conference.
If Italy really replaces the head coach, Massimiliano Allegri will be a prominent candidate.
According to Italian media, this is the most supported choice by fans. The head coach of AC Milan is a dream appointment for the majority of Italian fans.
After the initial stage of working in lower leagues, Allegri had the opportunity to lead Cagliari in Serie A in 2008, before being appointed by AC Milan two years later. He won Serie A in his first season at San Siro, then left the club in January 2014.
That summer, Allegri moved to Juventus and opened a glorious period. In his first 5 years in Turin, he helped Juventus win a series of titles, becoming the first coach in Italian football history to lead a team to win a domestic double for 4 consecutive seasons. Juventus won Serie A and Coppa Italia in the first 4 seasons under his command, before having another domestic championship in the following season.
After leaving Juventus in 2019, Allegri returned to this team in 2021, but the success was no longer as brilliant as before. His only title in the second phase was the 2024 Coppa Italia. After that final, Allegri caused a major controversy when he got angry with the referee, threatened a journalist and publicly criticized Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli while celebrating, before being sacked just two days later.
In May 2025, he returned to AC Milan for a second term. Therefore, if the Italian Football Federation wants to invite Allegri, they will have to persuade him to leave his current job.
The 58-year-old coach has long been highly appreciated for his tactical thinking and ability to manage the dressing room. However, he was also criticized for his playing style considered outdated in the second phase at Juventus, and also for slowing down the development of some young players.
