Latest news: the first thing that the new Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso did was to remove 3 names of Inter from the official list “they do not return to my plans”. Acerbi immediately gave a hard answer !!
Gennaro Gattuso, recently appointed coach of the Italian national team, has wasted no time to make bold decisions that have shocked the world of football. In his first important move since he took the place of Luciano Spalletti, the former AC Milan legend would have excluded three key players of Inter from the official list of the Azzurri for the next qualifications at the 2026 World Cup. The decision, confirmed by different sources, sparked a heated debate, with the expert defender of Inter Francesco Acerbi who responded hard to the announcement of Gattuso. This sensational shaking marks the beginning of a new era for Italian football, but has already unleashed controversy between fans and commentators.
The appointment of Gattuso, on June 15, 2025, arrived at a time when Italy was in a precarious position in the qualifications at the World Cup, third in Group I after a humiliating defeat against Norway. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) turned to the 47 -year -old world champion, known for his ardent passion and his pragmatic approach, to raise the fate of the team. However, few expected that the first act of Gattuso would have been to renew the team by excluding three prominent players of Inter, a move that aroused a sensation given the excellent performance of Inter in Serie A and its race to the UEFA Champions League final at the beginning of this year. Although the specific names of the excluded players have not officially known, some Italian media, including Corriere dello Sport, suggest that Francesco Acerbi, an Inter defense pillar, is between the excluded players, together with two other Nerazzurri stars.
Gattuso’s motivation for the decision was straightforward. In a press conference held on June 19, 2025, on the occasion of his official presentation as a coach of Italy, he declared: “I have a vision for this team and I need players who reflect it. Some players, despite their quality, do not fall into my plans for the future”. This statement, widely interpreted as a direct reference to the Inter trio, has aroused speculation on the criteria underlying its selections. The philosophy of coach of Gattuso, shaped by his gritty playing style and by his experiences in clubs such as Naples, Valencia and Marseille, emphasizes discipline, intensity and tactical flexibility. Sources close to the FIGC indicate that Gattuso is giving priority to younger and versatile players to reconstruct the team in view of the 2026 world championship, a tournament to which Italy wishes to ardently qualify after jumping the two previous editions.
The exclusion of Inter players was not welcomed by favor, in particular by Francesco Acerbi, who was a pillar of the Nerazzurri defense and a key figure of his recent successes. The 37-year-old defender, owner in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 31, 2025, expressed his frustration on social media. In a heated post on Instagram, Acerbi wrote: “I gave everything for the blues and for my club, but apparently respect is scarce. If I am not desired, I am aside, but don’t expect that it remains in silence when my commitment is questioned”. His words echo the feelings expressed in early June, when he retired from Spalletti’s team, citing a “lack of respect” by the former coach. Acerbi’s response fueled speculations on a deeper fracture between Inter players and the national team structure, with some who suggest that Gattuso’s decision can be influenced by tactical preferences or personal divergences.
The controversy on Gattuso’s choices arrives in a critical moment for Italy. With the crucial qualifications against Estonia and Israel scheduled in September 2025, the pressure on Gattuso is fluctuating and its goal is to obtain results. His coach curriculum, albeit fluctuating, includes a triumph in the Italian Cup with Napoli in 2020, but his short and often tumultuous periods in clubs such as Fiorentina and Hajduk Split have raised doubts about his suitability for the role in the national team. The critics, including the former Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, questioned the credentials of Gattuso, with Montolivo who said: “He is not a person who respects”, citing their relationship aimed during his stay at Milan. Despite this skepticism, Gattuso fans claim that his passion and his link with the winning team of the 2006 World Cup make him the right man to instill determination and determination in a team that has struggled in recent years.
In the meantime, Inter fans are deploying themselves in support of their players, considering Gattuso’s decision an affront to the recent domain of the club in Italian football. The defeat of the Nerazzurri 5-0 against the Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final was a reason for dispute, with some who suggest that Gattuso is unjustly taking Inter players to download the wider difficulties of Italy. However, others argue that Gattuso is simply making difficult decisions to align the team to his tactical vision, which apparently includes the experimentation of three different modules, as reported in some posts on X. The exclusion of Inter stars could open the way to emerging talents, such as Giovanni Leoni del Parma, which has been indicated as a potential substitute for Acerbi both at the club and international level.
While Italy is preparing for future challenges, the bold move of Gattuso has given the tone to its mandate. It remains to be seen if his decision to abandon the trio of Inter will prove to be a master’s blow or a false step, but he undoubtedly warned the world of football. Acerbi’s provocative response, combined with the conflicting reactions of fans and former players, suggests that Gattuso’s journey as a coach of Italy will be far from simple. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, all eyes will be focused on the blues to see if Gattuso will be able to exploit his burning spirit to bring Italy back to glory, or if this initial controversy will make his ambitions derail before they even begin.
