Akin Ayomide
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has called for a review of FIFA’s World Cup qualification process as the Azzurri face the possibility of missing the tournament for a third consecutive time.
Italy must defeat Norway by nine clear goals on Sunday to top Group I and avoid entering the European playoffs yet again. Despite a 2-0 win over Moldova on Thursday — their sixth victory in seven games.
Norway remain firmly ahead with seven straight wins, including a 3-0 victory over Italy, giving them a vastly superior goal difference.
Italy, ranked ninth in the world, failed to reach both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after painful playoff defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia. With another playoff looming, Gattuso argued that the qualification system has become increasingly unfair to European teams.
“In my day, the best [group] runners-up went straight to the World Cup, now the rules have changed,” he said as quoted by ESPN. “To change the rules, you need to tell those who organize these tournaments.”
He pointed to the rise in African slots as one example of shifting qualification dynamics.
“In 1990 and 1994, there were two African [three qualified in 1994] teams, now there are nine. It’s not a
controversy, but there are difficulties, and we know it well,” Gattuso stated.
He also compared Europe’s situation to that of South America.
“If we look at South America, where six out of 10 teams go directly to the World Cup and the seventh heads into a playoff with a team from Oceania, that does give you regrets and a certain sadness. That is the disappointment. The system needs to change in Europe.”
During the Moldova match, Italy’s players were booed by sections of their travelling supporters after taking 88 minutes to score. Gattuso criticised the reaction.
“This is not the time to tell the players to go get a job,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t accept the fans’ jeering. Now we all need to stay united. Deep down, I even thought they could lose this match considering how much we’ve changed [due to injuries], but those who came on did well.”