Overview

• Gattuso agreed to a one-year deal with the Italian Football Federation to replace Luciano Spalletti following Italy’s 3-0 loss to Norway.
• Italy sits third in Group I, nine points adrift of Norway and facing the prospect of missing a third straight World Cup if they fail to top the group.
• The new coach has contacted some 35 players, including Federico Chiesa, to reinforce squad cohesion and motivate underused talent.
• He intends to station injured players at the Coverciano training centre to foster unity and maintain high commitment levels.
• Italy’s next fixtures are home matches against Estonia on September 5 and Israel on September 8, with a decisive showdown versus Norway on November 16.