Buffon on his Italy prediction and ‘prejudice’ against Gattuso

Italy’s Delegation Chief Gianluigi Buffon sees ‘prejudice’ against Gennaro Gattuso and says everyone will ‘go home’ if the Azzurri fail to qualify for the World Cup.

Buffon spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday, days after a World Cup play-off draw that paired the Azzurri with Northern Ireland in the semifinal.

When the Azzurri were eliminated from the 2010 World Cup, Buffon warned that in a few years the country would have celebrated a qualification for the competition, not winning it. Sadly, time proved him right.

“I understood it was happening; the changes underway were faster than anyone thought. It was a provocation, but only to a certain extent. I also wanted us to stop telling ourselves stories that no longer exist,” Buffon said.

“Today’s results go back to 20 years ago, to when we rested on our strength. On Buffon, Cannavaro, Totti, thinking it would last forever for divine grace. Even back then, we had to rethink our technical and tactical models.”

Gattuso has been working in the FIGC for more than two years, so how can the federation reverse the trend?

“Start from the bottom. I mean from seven to 13 years old, when there’s a real imprinting,” Buffon said.

“From fifteen onwards, you can always improve, but talent is formed earlier. In addition to the help of Mother Nature, which I wouldn’t overlook. We’re talking to Prandelli to understand how to structure this work, but we wanted to wait for the qualifiers before defining everything. What if things go badly? We asked ourselves. Everyone out, we go home, a new guy comes in, with other ideas and maybe erases the project. If you start something like this, you need stability.”

If Italy progress to the World Cup play-off Final, they’ll meet Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away. Marco Materazzi said he’d enjoy playing such a big game away, but Buffon was not on the same page.

“I don’t agree with Marco. In matches like this, a bit of help counts and the crowd gives you a huge boost,” said the ex-goalkeeper.

“Fear grips you; it stops you from playing. Instead, you need the right respect, keeping in mind that to reach the Final, you have to get through the semifinal, we must not drown in a new North Macedonia.”

Safe to say Buffon hasn’t enjoyed criticism towards the national team in recent months.

“No, and continuing with stupid comparisons to the past only makes today’s players feel inadequate,” he said.

“With the national team, there’s always been a game of destruction. I know it well, but let’s try to understand the historical moment, who benefits from it?

“Gattuso has been coaching for 12 years; he’s a great professional. I don’t like and I don’t understand this prejudice against him. With him, I talk about solutions and ideas, before and after the match, during the week. He decides everything, like the double centre-forward, which is a brilliant intuition.

“Rino is the right head coach, the best figure we could have chosen and you journalists know it well.

“You [journalists] talk to the players more than we directors and you know exactly what they think of Rino. Don’t think we haven’t noted that the media following us are less critical.”

Gennaro Gattuso hopes Serie A fixtures will be moved to give the national team more time to prepare for the Northern Ireland game in March 2026.

“We all beat our chests when the anthem plays, then maybe wipe fake tears on our shirts after a defeat. To be clear: having those free days would help us tremendously. But we have to find a way to be stronger even than these concessions we don’t get,” argued Buffon.

“As Rino says, we are strong. Period. The World Cup is a kind of magic meant to be experienced by the country; we simply can’t miss it. Let’s help the dream.”