Italy's new head coach, Gennaro Gattuso, made his debut against Estonia in the 5th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Romans secured a resounding 5-0 victory. However, the players themselves revealed an interesting fact about the reason behind the victory.
Defender Alessandro Bastoni stated that Gattuso "delivered a couple of hard slaps" to the players during halftime. This action had a strong impact on the team, and in the second half, the Italians managed to score 5 goals against the opponent.
Goals: Ken (58), Retegi (69, 89), Raspadori (71), Bastoni (90+2).
Striker Giacomo Raspadori confirmed this. In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, he said: "Do you think he said Bastoni figuratively? No, he really slapped us. I also received a share from them."
At the same time, Raspadori emphasized that Gattuso's decisive move gave the players new mental strength: "These days he gave us determination and resilience. We are talented players, we just need to prove ourselves on the field and prove it."
As a reminder, the match against Estonia marked Gattuso's first appearance as head coach of the Italian national team, where he started with a resounding victory.
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