Following Italy`s 3-0 defeat to Norway in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, manager Luciano Spalletti has confirmed his dismissal by the Italian Football Association (FA). Spalletti announced this decision during the pre-match press conference for the game against Moldova, scheduled for Monday. He stated he would coach the team in that match, aware that he would be sacked immediately afterwards, as he revealed himself.
“The FA president, Gabriele Gravina, informed me that I will be relieved of my duties as head coach of the national team after the match against Moldova,” he said. “I`m sorry; I would have preferred to stay and attempt to change things. I have an excellent relationship with Gravina, but I accept the dismissal given the negative results.”
Spalletti took charge of the Italian national team in August 2023, stepping in after former head coach Roberto Mancini`s resignation. His tenure included a disappointing performance at the Euro 2024 tournament, where Italy were eliminated by Switzerland in the Round of 16. Spalletti remained in post, but team performances did not improve, with Italy losing three of their last four matches, including the recent 3-0 loss to Norway in their first 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Before concluding the press conference, when asked if he felt any sense of betrayal, Spalletti commented, “Keep claiming that I haven`t found a connection with the players? Tell me who. Name names. Given what has occurred lately, I believe we need to work on fostering a sense of belonging to this national team. Considering my nature, I perhaps have been too lenient. If any player has said something to you over the phone, I would like to know.”
Potential Replacements for Spalletti
Reports suggest that two main candidates are being considered to take over from Spalletti: former Milan coach Stefano Pioli and the highly experienced manager Claudio Ranieri, who famously guided Leicester City to a Premier League title nearly a decade ago in one of modern football`s most astonishing achievements. Pioli, currently managing Al-Nassr, is reportedly expected to depart the Saudi club. Ranieri recently concluded his managerial career at AS Roma at the end of the 2024-25 season and now serves as a senior advisor to the ownership, led by American businessman Dan Friedkin. As things stand, these two individuals are the names reportedly being evaluated by the Italian FA, hoping to reverse the team`s fortunes and avoid missing another World Cup, after Italy failed to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
