Gianluigi Buffon has confirmed that Gennaro Gattuso is poised to become the new head coach of the Italian national team, following the dismissal of Luciano Spalletti.
Speaking to RAI during the Under-21 European Championship, Buffon — who currently serves as head of delegation for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) — stated, “We have worked, we are now waiting for the final details.” He added, “The president and the whole federation have had some busy days but I think that in the end we made the best choice.”
Spalletti’s tenure came to an abrupt end after less than two years at the helm. His final game in charge was a 2-0 victory over Moldova, which followed a damaging 3-0 defeat to Norway in Italy’s opening 2026 World Cup qualifier. The result prompted Spalletti to announce his exit.
Gattuso, a World Cup winner in 2006 and veteran of 73 international caps, recently parted ways with Croatian side Hajduk Split by mutual consent. He led the club to a third-place finish in the Croatian top division.
