Italy-Northern Ireland, Gattuso: "The most important"“

(PRIMASPORT) BERGAMO, MARCH 25, 2026 – “It’s definitely the most important match of my career.’ Rino Gattuso said so clearly after giving space to Mateo Retegui, who for his part said he was proud to wear the Azzurri shirt and, grateful to the coach, happy to return to Bergamo, where he scored goals in droves. The press conference on the eve of Game 1 of the playoffs against Northern Ireland was a crowded one. ”All we have to do is win,“ to paraphrase Troisi and Benigni. Especially because after two unexcused absences, a third World Cup without Italy would be inconceivable and an anomaly. ”For seven months I’ve been hearing people say, “Take us to the World Cup,“” recalls Gattuso, who speaks of self-awareness and awareness of the opponent. “The important thing is to arrive prepared, and I think we are. It’s a match we need to prepare for both technically and tactically, as well as mentally. We will play two games, one with the ball and one without. When we have possession, we'll have to move the ball very quickly to get into their 25-meter box." This is because, explains the coach, "Northern Ireland play vertically, with forward passes and are very good at second balls." Gattuso gets emotional when reminded that Marcello Lippi, the coach of the magical night in Berlin, said that Gattuso resembles him. Good news regarding the players who arrived with injuries, but who haven't given up. "The left-handers (Politano, Calafiori) are fine, Bastoni also remains to be evaluated but has a good chance of being used, only Scamacca is a bit behind." But it's an example of willpower and resilience," the coach makes clear, praising a group of attackers who give him confidence: Retegui, Kean, Pio Esposito, Scamacca himself, and Raspadori. "We'll play two games, one with the ball and one without. When we have possession, we'll have to move the ball very quickly to get into their 25-meter box," Gattuso concludes. (PRIMASPORT)