logo
Italy coach: Possible key day for Gattuso after five Buffon calls

Italy coach: Possible key day for Gattuso after five Buffon calls

Yahooa day ago

Italy coach: Possible key day for Gattuso after five Buffon calls
Gennaro Gattuso spoke with Italy Delegation Chief Gianluigi Buffon five times on Tuesday, and today could be key to the appointment of the former midfielder as the new Azzurri head coach.
Former Milan and Italy midfielder Gattuso, a 2006 World Cup winner with La Nazionale, is in line to replace Spalletti as Italy's head coach.
Key date for Gattuso appointment as Italy coach
Marseille head coach Gennaro Gattuso looks on during the warm up prior to the UEFA Europa League Group B first leg football match between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Brighton and Hove Albion at the Stade Velodrome, in Marseille on October 5, 2023. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Sportitalia editor Michele Criscitiello has reported that today could be a key day for the appointment of the former midfielder.
Gattuso talks to Buffon over Italy role
REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 09: (L-R) Luciano Spalletti head coach of Italy and Gianluigi Buffon during the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta' del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by)
On Tuesday, Gattuso spoke with Italy Delegation Chief Gigi Buffon, one of his fellow Italy teammates from 2006, five times over the phone.
Advertisement
Gattuso, a former Hajduk Split coach, is currently not in Italy, but is enjoying a few days off in Marbella.
His contract with the Italian national team would expire at the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Spalletti took charge of his last Italy game on Monday, beating Moldova 2-0. However, the previous 3-0 loss away to Norway proved costly for the ex-Azzurri boss.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Los Angeles Grand Slam Track meeting cancelled: sources
Los Angeles Grand Slam Track meeting cancelled: sources

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Los Angeles Grand Slam Track meeting cancelled: sources

Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track series has cancelled its final leg in Los Angeles later this month due to economic reasons (Ricardo Makyn) The Los Angeles leg of Michael Johnson's inaugural Grand Slam Track athletics series has been cancelled for economic reasons, multiple sources confirmed to AFP on Thursday. The fourth and final stop on the new circuit had been due to take place at Los Angeles' Drake Stadium from June 28-29. Advertisement However sources with knowledge of the situation told AFP Thursday that the meeting had now been scrapped due to "poor economics". An official announcement on the meeting's cancellation is expected later Thursday. Sources said Johnson was due to hold a video call with athletes and their representatives following Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Oslo to confirm the move. Reports in the United States and Britain said the cancellation was made due to the failure to secure adequate sponsorship and broadcast revenue for the league, which was launched in Kingston, Jamaica in April. Advertisement Ticket sales for the Los Angeles event had also been sluggish, reports said, with Britain's The Times saying the decision to cancel would save organisers around $3 million in prize money and travel expenses. The cancellation is a stinging blow to Johnson's hopes of revolutionising athletics through the circuit, which was launched as part of an attempt to reinvigorate interest in the sport after years of decline. Johnson's stated goal of Grand Slam Track was to produce a more concentrated format which promised more head-to-head races between the world's best athletes. However while the series was able to recruit stars such as US Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas and 400m hurdles icon Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, it failed to recruit a slew of top sprinting talent including the reigning men's and women's 100m champions Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred. Advertisement The series offered athletes prize money of up to $100,000 for their overall standings after participating in two races at each meet. However while athletes expressed enthusiasm for the series, there were clear signs it had failed to capture the imagination of fans. Swathes of empty seats were seen at the opening meeting in Kingston, while for the third meeting in Philadelphia, the program was cut from three days to two days. US Olympic 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin had been among the athletes expressing scepticism over Grand Slam Track's chances of success. "I look at it as a business," Benjamin said before the opening meeting in April. "At the end of the day, if there's no ROI (return on investment), then you have a failed business model. And it's like, how long could you be sustainable? Advertisement "They're not going to make any money this year, they're not going to make any money next year." Johnson however brushed off those concerns, adamant that the series would generate interest once launched. "I've started several successful businesses in my life and not a single one was profitable in year one," Johnson said. "That's not how you build businesses. "But when you say we're going to get 48 of the best athletes in the world contracted to go head-to-head, people start to pay attention." rcw/jc

Australia and South Africa wickets tumble to leave WTC final on a knife-edge
Australia and South Africa wickets tumble to leave WTC final on a knife-edge

Yahoo

time38 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Australia and South Africa wickets tumble to leave WTC final on a knife-edge

This final has been dubbed 'The Ultimate Test' and though almost certainly the product of a W1A-style ideas splurge back in Dubai, this tagline scarcely felt more appropriate watching the wickets tumble for a second successive day. It had looked for all money like Pat Cummins had sealed the fate of the World Test Championship mace. Thundering in from the Nursery End, a four-wicket burst after lunch had seen him claim six for 28 and with South Africa all out for 138 in 57.1 overs – 74 behind – all it needed was a further top-up of runs. Advertisement Related: South Africa v Australia: World Test Championship final cricket, day two – live Instead, with help from a beige surface that has still delivered a bat's width of nibble throughout, South Africa delivered a stirring fightback of their own. At stumps Australia were 144 for eight – a lead of 218 runs – and the spectators who witnessed the carnage unfold could finally draw breath. Some of them were probably querying the pitch on the way out. But 28 wickets falling in the space of six sessions may say as much about how bowlers can adjust quicker to a one-off showpiece. After a rusty first day, Lungi Ngidi was the last of them to get up to speed, his cheap removals of Steve Smith and Beau Webster amid figures of three for 35 dragging South Africa back into contention. Their heads could easily have dropped after the onslaught from Cummins that took him to 300 Test wickets. There could also have been a few envious glances cast by Kagiso Rabada, star of the first innings. As unrelenting as he was, Australia's captain had profited from a collective asphyxiation that, among the frontliners, saw only Mitchell Starc go at more than two runs per over. Advertisement But after once again making early inroads – Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green nicking off cheaply once again – the South African cavalry arrived. And in the space of 25 dizzying overs Australia were suddenly 73 for seven. By the close the defending champions were grateful to Alex Carey for a nuggety 43 that, along with support from Starc, meant the chase would require the highest total of the match. South Africa will be hoping the top order that crumbled to 43 for four on the first evening can find their feet second time around. A bit like the World Cup semi-final in Kolkata 18 months ago, their initial effort had felt like a Chinese finger trap, every wriggle making things tighter. There was some defiance, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham throwing the odd counter punch, but the task was arduous. Having shut down Bavuma for 36 via a loose shot to cover, Cummins simply came into his own after the lunch interval. Smashing the surface with remorseless accuracy, a spell of four overs, four for three – closed off by a wonderful diving catch by Webster in the deep – felt utterly game-breaking at the time. It had started with a scene straight from Super Rugby, Cummins appealing for an lbw against Kyle Verreynne and summarily flattened as his mark attempted a single. Cummins cared only for the review, however, and when three reds appeared on the big screen, he was suddenly in a scrum of jubilant teammates. Advertisement This was the first of five wickets to fall for just 12 runs, as well as the first of two in the over courtesy of a return catch from Jansen, but most critical was that of Bedingham. Though typically a dasher for Durham, the right-hander had ground his way to 45 only to be undone on the backfoot by a classical edge behind. • More to follow

Christian Pulisic defended choice to skip the Gold Cup with the USMNT
Christian Pulisic defended choice to skip the Gold Cup with the USMNT

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Christian Pulisic defended choice to skip the Gold Cup with the USMNT

The U.S. men's national team is coming off its fourth straight loss under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. And while the USMNT was thoroughly embarrassed in its friendly against Switzerland, much of the discussion focused on the player who wasn't there: Christian Pulisic. Advertisement Ever since the AC Milan star elected to skip the Gold Cup — the USMNT's only competitive tournament before the 2026 World Cup — the backlash had been impossible to ignore. The criticism came from former USMNT players, fans and even subtle jabs from Pochettino. Come Thursday, Pulisic had heard enough and looked to offer his side of the decision. In an interview with CBS Sports, Pulisic said that he had wanted to at least be a part of the pre-Gold Cup friendlies and training camp, but Pochettino preferred to keep the same roster across the friendlies and Gold Cup. Pulisic respected that decision even if he admittedly didn't understand the reasoning behind it. Sergiño Dest and Folarin Balogun were allowed to participate in camp before withdrawing ahead of the friendlies, for example. Advertisement Pulisic said: "Obviously it sucks for me to miss out with the team. I want to be a part of the team always. But to be honest, towards the second half and towards the end of the season, my body just started talking to me and my mind. I just started to think what is going to be best for me leading into next year and going into the World Cup? And was that to play eight more games, get no rest at all and go straight into preseason and then grind another year and go straight into a World Cup? That's not what I felt was best for my body. "But the only point I would make with that is that I did want to be a part of at least the two friendlies. I did speak with the coaches. I asked, and I wanted to be a part of the team in whatever capacity I could. They said no. They said they only wanted one roster. That's coach's decision. I fully respect that. I didn't understand it, but it is what it is. I wanted to be a part of that." Pulisic added that even amid the backlash, he wouldn't change his decision. He felt that he needed the time away to recover and is set to begin training this week. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Christian Pulisic defended choice to skip the Gold Cup with the USMNT

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store