Gattuso emphasized that the match is decisive for reaching the World Cup.

The head coach of the Italy national football team, Gennaro Gattuso, shared his thoughts at a press conference before the serious match scheduled against the Northern Ireland national team in the playoff stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

This was reported by the La Gazzetta dello Sport publication. The coach described this match as the most decisive and responsible game in his coaching career, paying special attention to the full mental and physical readiness of the team members.

According to Gattuso, he has spent every day of his coaching career focused on the World Cup, and now that the time has come, this tournament represents the greatest opportunity of his career. The specialist emphasized the importance of experience in the game but said that the most important things are patience and correct tactical decisions.

He advised the team players not to dwell on past failures or be influenced by them. Instead, he stressed the need to focus solely on the upcoming battle and to determine their own fate with their own hands.

Gattuso emphasized that the fact that the team failed to qualify for the last two World Cups should be forgotten, and that at this moment all efforts must be mobilized for victory. The playoff match between Italy and Northern Ireland will take place on March 26.

According to the coach, the team plans to fully utilize all available opportunities to win, and the players are capable of performing this task excellently. Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport