Gennaro Gattuso appeared sullen and sullen for statements after the Italian national team's new failure to qualify for the 2026 summer FIFA World Cup.

For the third consecutive World Cup, the Italian national team will be absent (!). It was left out of the tournament after its defeat in the penalty shootout against the Bosnian team, so to remember when it last participated in the finals we have to go back in time, to 2014.

After the match, Gennaro Gattuso appeared sullen and disappointed, apologizing to the fans and emphasizing that his future on the bench is not what matters at the moment:

"It's a real shame, but that's football. It's a blow, I'm proud of my players. If someone pokes me today, there's no blood, nothing comes out. It hurts, but I don't feel anything. This qualification was important for us, for our families, for the players, for the team and for everyone. I don't want to talk about the refereeing or anything else. I think it's unfair, but that's football.

I've been involved in football for years. Sometimes I've celebrated and sometimes I've been "hit" like today. But it's hard to digest this. My players surprised me today with their heart, with the dedication they showed on the pitch. We were in the trenches and we knew how to stay in the game. We're not going to the World Cup for the third time.