Gennaro Gattuso apologises to Italy after missing out on third straight World Cup

[p]The Italians, four-time winners and champions as ‌recently as 2006, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/italy-hlKvieGH/?mid=2B8dzIX9"]took an early lead in Zenica,[/a] but after going down to 10 men, they were ‌hauled back by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia[/a] before penalties sent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gattuso-gennaro/4KygbMf9/"]Gattuso[/a]'s side packing.[/p][p]After suffering defeat at the ‌playoff stage for the last two World Cups, another absence will be hard to take ‌for all involved in Italian football.[/p][p]"[b]Today the boys didn't deserve a beating like ‌this[/b]," a teary-eyed Gattuso told RAI.[/p][p]"[b]We were left with 10 players, we had three decent chances and they barely troubled us. I'm sorry, this is football and I'm proud of my boys.[/b][/p][p]"[b]It hurts, because ‌we needed it for us, for all of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] and ⁠for our movement. A blow that's difficult ‌to digest.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="982e6318-e6ea-4c5a-bebe-424711d0f423" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2039096308108046785?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Gattuso and Italy were incensed when a foul by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muharemovic-tarik/O0Ss5jSf/"]Tarik Muharemovic[/a] on the edge of ​the area brought just a yellow card early in extra time, but the manager did not want to talk about refereeing decisions.[/p][p]"[b]I don't want to ​talk about anything, but today it's unfair,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]"[b]I have been in the world of football for years, sometimes I have rejoiced and today I take a beating. It's ⁠hard to digest, they surprised ​me too for the heart they put into it.[/b][/p][p]"[b]We're talking for the umpteenth time that we don't go to the World Cup. I apologise if I didn't make it, but the boys impressed me today.[/b]"[/p][h2]'My future is not important'[/h2][p]Gattuso, who replaced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spalletti-luciano/n3dg3lHR/"]Luciano Spalletti[/a] early in ‌the qualification campaign after defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a], was asked about his future.[/p][p]"[b]Today talking about my future is not important, it was important to go to the World Cup,[/b]" he replied.[/p][p]"[b]We hold onto this performance, but it hurts and I'm sorry.[/b]"[/p][p]The head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina told reporters that he had asked Gattuso to stay on.[/p][p]"[b]The mood is quite evident, especially for how this result has matured,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]"[b]Allow me to congratulate the boys, in recent months they have had incredible growth, many of you have not been able to appreciate the climate and atmosphere in recent months.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I want ‌to congratulate Rino Gattuso. He is a great coach, I asked him to stay ​at the helm with these boys. There is little to comment, the coach ‌called them heroic. Then, I understand there are several evaluations to be made.[/b]"[/p][p]Gravina is himself under extreme pressure at the head of Italian football given their repeated failures.[/p][p]"[b]For the political part there is a place to make the evaluations, namely the Federal Council,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]"[b]I have already decided to call them up for next ⁠week, there will be evaluations made internally.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I ⁠understand the request for resignation given ‌the situation, but there is a suitable place to make the evaluations.[/b]"[/p]