Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso struck a balance between excitement and focus as he addressed the media ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Estonia in Bergamo, Softfootball reports.
As released by the country’s football team on their X handle, Gattuso raised concerns about the complexity of Friday’s game as a must-win for the Azzurri.
Gattuso said:
It’s completely different but the excitement will fade quickly. A lot is at stake and we know it.
Meanwhile, Gattuso raised some hopes for Friday’s game, saying that the interest and attendance of the fans will serve as a motivation for them.
I’m happy to have a sold-out at the stadium thanks to Bergamo and Atalanta. It’s up to us now to put our recent training into action. It’s very rewarding to have seen the boys train the way they have. We hope for the best.
Here is the snippet of Gattuso’s interview as released on the Azzurri’s X handle:
The coach's thoughts ahead of tomorrow's game 🎙️#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/ZF5VV1CbBi
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 4, 2025Donnarumma, newly signed by Manchester City and now Italy captain, has also underlined the squad’s focus ahead of Friday’s game, as earlier reported by Softfootball. The Italian captain who recently rowed through the storm during the transfer window, signing for Manchester City this week, has said the team is well prepared and calm ahead of the game.
The Azzurri will be without Gianluca Scamacca, who left the camp earlier today after failing to recover from discomfort on arrival at Coverciano. His absence reduces Gattuso’s attacking options.
