9 d. ago Gennaro Gattuso seeks ‘family’ ethos in bid to avoid World Cup unthinkable

Hero of 2006 World Cup was second choice behind Claudio Ranieri and has not had a successful career as managerGennaro Gattuso said all the things he was expected to say at his first appearance as Italy manager. He talked about the need to restore enthusiasm to an Azzurri side whose morale has been dented by recent setbacks, as well as that sense of shared purpose that bonded him to teammates in the World Cup-winning side of 2006.The word he kept coming back to was “family”, insisting: “That’s the most important thing, more than tactics or formations.” His is not a vision of paternalistic authority but of a group close enough to speak hard truths to each other’s faces. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago World Cup qualifiers: Spalletti exits with flat Italy victory, Haaland gives Norway boost

Departing Italy coach downbeat despite 2-0 win over MoldovaNorway defeat Estonia 1-0; Croatia thrash Czech RepublicLuciano Spalletti took charge of Italy one last time on Monday, and while his side sent him off with a win, the sacked manager accepted that he is not leaving the team in a good place for his replacement.Spalletti paid the price for a 3-0 drubbing in Norway on Friday as Italy’s World Cup qualifying campaign in Europe’s Group I was compromised in their opening game, and an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova was not how he wished to bow out. Italy broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time through Giacomo Raspadori’s strike from the edge of the penalty area, with Andrea Cambiaso adding another soon after the restart. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Football Daily | Dilly ding, dilly dong! Italy press the big World Cup panic button again

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!When Italy were humbled by Norway in their opening World Cup qualifier on Friday night, the response from Gazzetta dello Sport was as measured as you would expect. “ENOUGH!” screamed the pink paper’s front-page headline the next day, while the lengthy howl of anguish over which it appeared declared that the country’s “World Cup is already at risk”. While Luciano Spalletti had been bullish in the immediate aftermath of his knack-ravaged side’s 3-0 defeat in Oslo, on Sunday he cut a far more forlorn figure as he appeared alone before a bloodthirsty press-pack to preview the qualifier against Moldova, unaccompanied by any of his players or even a simpering national team media handler.Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach [Michal Probierz], I have decided to resign from playing for the Poland national team for as long as he remains in charge. I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the ...

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2 w. ago Luciano Spalletti claims he has been sacked by Italy after Norway humiliation

Manager makes announcement at fiery press conference‘I had no intention of giving up I’ll be there against Moldova’Luciano Spalletti has been sacked from his role as Italy’s coach, the manager said on Sunday, following their heavy loss to Norway, but will take charge of Monday’s game against Moldova.Spalletti made the announcement at a press conference after Norway stunned Italy with a 3-0 win on Friday, handing the visitors a humiliating start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Italy fans call for Claudio Ranieri as Fabio Capello points finger amid World Cup fears

Claudio Ranieri's is the people's choice to take the coaching job after the shocking 3-0 defeat to Erling Haaland's Norway with Luciano Spalletti's position under threat

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2 w. ago Italy fans call for Claudio Ranieri as Luciano Spalletti unceremoniously sacked

Claudio Ranieri's is the people's choice to take the coaching job after the shocking 3-0 defeat to Erling Haaland's Norway with Luciano Spalletti having been sacked by the FIGC

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2 w. ago I'm an Italy World Cup hero and Scott McTominay is my son's idol

The King of Naples has had a season he will never forget in Serie A with club side Napoli

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3 w. ago Scott McTominay has proven Man Utd wrong as Liverpool hero Andy Robertson delivers brutally honest take

McTominay scooped the Serie A title with Napoli and was named the most valuable player in the league

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