Italy Sacking Continues To Haunt Luciano Spalletti Despite No Regrets About National Team Role

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Luciano Spalletti, the former head coach of Italy, has expressed that his dismissal continues to trouble him, yet he holds no regrets about accepting the position. Spalletti's tenure ended after a 2-0 victory over Moldova in June during Italy's World Cup qualifiers. Gennaro Gattuso has since taken over as Italy aims for the 2026 World Cup.

Spalletti led Italy for nearly two years, succeeding Roberto Mancini. His time included a disappointing European Championship defence in 2024, where Italy was eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16. Additionally, Germany defeated Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the Nations League quarter-finals in March. Over his 24 matches, Spalletti achieved 12 wins, six draws, and six losses.

Reflecting on his experience, Spalletti admitted that losing the role still affects him deeply. "It never goes away," he shared with La Repubblica via Football Italia. "It robs me of sleep... Sometimes I feel happy, but then it pops back into my head." He also mentioned struggling to convey his affection for the team.

Despite these challenges, Spalletti does not regret taking on the national team role. "No [he does not have regrets], because the national team doesn’t ask, it calls," he stated. He emphasised that when called upon by the national team, one must be ready to serve without hesitation.

Spalletti replaced Mancini in 2023 after Mancini's unexpected resignation before leading Saudi Arabia. Mancini had a successful tenure with Italy, achieving a world-record 37-match unbeaten streak and winning Euro 2020 on penalties. However, Italy missed out on consecutive World Cup appearances in 2022 and lost to Argentina in the Finalissima.

Lessons Learned and Team Dynamics

Reflecting on his approach, Spalletti acknowledged that he may have pushed too hard initially to instil a sense of identity and pride among players. "At the beginning, my mistake was to press too much on this sense of belonging," he noted. He encouraged players to embrace their high level despite external doubts about their quality.

Spalletti remains confident in players like Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella, and Federico Dimarco. He believed they were on track post-Euros but recognised that sometimes efforts can lead to unintended outcomes.

The journey with Italy left a mark on Spalletti despite its challenges. While reflecting on his time as head coach brings pain, he remains proud of his efforts and commitment to the team’s success.