Gennaro Gattuso has returned to Bergamo, the city where he celebrated his debut as national team coach with a sensational 5–0 win over Estonia six months ago. Tomorrow evening (20:45 CET with Dutch referee Makkelie in charge), Gattuso will face the most important match of his coaching career (“I have a lot at stake, I’ve got a whole country on my shoulders”). He chose to play in that stadium again, which, back in September, had remained a source of unwavering support after a goalless first half, continuing to applaud the Azzurri and push them toward a win that, unfortunately, wasn’t enough to secure direct qualification for the World Cup in America without going through the play-offs. Twenty-four thousand fans are expected in the stands, with several million watching on TV: Italy wants to give them all a World Cup to experience as key contenders next summer.

 

Gattuso explained, “For seven months now, right before I sleep and as soon as I wake up, I hear the phrase ‘take us to the World Cup.’ I don’t want to believe things could go wrong. I want to think positively, think big. We need calmness and the awareness that we’re facing opponents who play with real intensity. We must make it to this World Cup. We have to get back to where we’ve been for so many years, and to do so as key contenders.” He was also pleased to read the praise from former head coach Marcello Lippi in this morning’s newspaper, who will be his biggest supporter tomorrow: “We speak often, but I won’t deny that his words moved me. I want to thank him.”

 

Gattuso also cleared up any doubts over the last 24 hours in terms of injured players: “The only two players to assess are Bastoni and Scamacca, everyone else is available.” Since the match could last more than ninety minutes, the Azzurri also trained on penalties: “Our designated penalty taker is Retegui; he took the last penalty. Yesterday, everyone took three each, we prepared in case it came down to that.”

WATCH OUT FOR HIGH BALLS. Northern Ireland are strongest at aerial play and attacking second balls. The team, led by 56-year-old Michael O’Neill, 69th in the FIFA rankings and back in the play-offs via the Nations League after finishing third in their qualifying group behind Germany and Slovakia, often rely on long balls and are dangerous from set-pieces. As Gattuso often says, the Azzurri must be able to anticipate danger. Avoiding careless fouls will be crucial, so we don’t opponents chances on high balls: “They send the ball ‘into the box.’ On any foul, the goalkeeper launches 70–80 meters with 8 or 9 keen players ready to strike. They thrive on second balls. It’s a vertical team; everything they do, they do very well. We’ll have to be ready, focused for ninety minutes, knowing there are no more easy games.”

BERGAMO WELCOMES RETEGUI BACK. Mateo Retegui knows the warmth of the Bergamo crowd all too well. Top scorer for Atalanta in the 2024/25 season with 25 goals, a club record for goals in a single Serie A campaign, he celebrated in front of his former fans six months ago with a brace against Estonia, and tomorrow he hopes to do it again: “Coming back to Bergamo is always special. This city means a lot to me. Last year, I had some amazing moments here, and we played a great game against Estonia. This stadium gives me that extra motivation.”

 

A starter six times out of seven since Gattuso took charge of the national team and the Azzurri’s top scorer with five goals, Retegui has continued finding the net even in Saudi Arabia, where he scored 18 goals in 27 matches for Al-Qadsiah. Since the Saudi league paused on March 14, the Azzurri striker joined the national team camp a week early, moving to Florence mid-month to prepare as best as possible for the play-offs: “As soon as I knew I’d have a few days off, I decided to come train at Coverciano. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I’m feeling great, and since the match against Norway, I’ve been eager to play for Italy again. This is the most important week of the year for all of us.” Beyond facing Northern Ireland, the Azzurri will also have to manage inevitable nerves: “We need to stay calm and focused, take control of the game, and win. It’s time to show everyone who we are.” His love for the national team is clear: “It’s the most important thing that’s ever happened in my life. Wearing this shirt and representing Italy means everything to me.”