Luciano Spalletti says he has been sacked as Italy head coach
Luciano Spalletti says he has been sacked as Italy head coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Spalletti confirmed the news at his news conference on Sunday ahead of Italy's World Cup qualifier against Moldova. That followed increased pressure after Spalletti's side opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-0 defeat by Norway on Friday, a result which Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma described as 'not acceptable'.
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Spalletti took charge of Italy in August 2023, replacing Roberto Mancini. He oversaw a difficult 2024 European Championship campaign as they exited with a 2-0 defeat by Switzerland in the round of 16, winning just one match in the tournament. The 66-year-old has won 11 of his 23 matches in charge of Italy.
Italy reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Nations League but were ousted by Germany in the quarter-final after a 5-4 aggregate defeat.
Four-time champions Italy have not qualified for the World Cup since 2014, despite winning Euro 2020 under Mancini. They sit fourth of five in their qualifying group for the 2026 edition with zero points, but have played one match as opposed to two so far due to their participation in the Nations League.
Spalletti led Napoli to the Serie A title in the 2022-23 campaign, the club's first Scudetto in 33 years.
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