Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso refuses to discuss future after World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina - 'Sometimes it makes you suffer'

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Italy failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals for a third consecutive edition following a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A crestfallen Gennaro Gattuso would not be drawn on questions about his future in the immediate aftermath of another bitter disappointment for the national team, coming after no Italian club reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

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Gennaro Gattuso declined to address questions about his future as Italy head coach after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for a third consecutive time, following a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs.

The four-time world champions had already fallen short in the play-offs for the previous two tournaments, with their last appearance at the finals coming in 2014 - the same year Bosnia made their only appearance on the global stage.

Since lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy have managed just one victory at the finals - and they will once more be forced to watch on this summer when the tournament in Mexico, the United States and Canada gets underway.

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Gattuso's side had made an ideal start in Zenica, with Moise Kean firing them into the lead after 15 minutes. But the contest shifted just before half-time when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off.

The hosts drew level with 11 minutes remaining through Haris Tabakovic, and in the ensuing shootout both Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante failed from the spot, while the hosts converted every attempt to replicate their semi-final success over Wales.

Reflecting on the defeat, Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia: "I just finished speaking to the team. I can only thank them, as it had been years since I'd seen the Nazionale play with such heart.

"It hurts, it really hurts, but we must accept it. I don’t want to talk about referees or anything else, we could’ve scored a second goal and didn’t, we suffered with all those crosses, we gave everything.

"I am proud of them, it hurts to accept this verdict. It will take time. On a personal level, it’s a heavy blow.”

Bosnia celebrate their penalty shootout victory

Image credit: Getty Images

He added: ”When you are in a stadium with the fans pushing, we made a mistake and went down to 10 men, even then we had the chances to score a second goal. The team did what it had to do today.

'People had been asking for an Italy side that cared about the shirt for years. Well, they got that tonight, but the incidents went against us."

Qualification for the World Cup was once little more than routine for Italy - their only previous absence before this barren run dates back to 1958 - but they have now become the only former champions to miss three consecutive editions of the finals.

Pressed on his own position, Gattuso remained non-committal: "We’ll see, but I don’t think this is the time to talk about my future or anyone else’s. This is football, sometimes it makes you celebrate, sometimes it makes you suffer."

This damaging blow for the national team comes after Italian representation in this season's UEFA Champions League ended following the round of 16. It is the fourth time in the past six years there has been no Serie A club in the quarter-finals of Europe's premier cup competition.

On what this latest setback means for Italian football more broadly, Gattuso said: "I won’t get into this controversy, I am a coach. We all know that it has been a struggle for a few years, I am not the right person to say what we need to improve, there are people who know more than me. So we’ll see."

Italy were last at a World Cup in 2014

Image credit: Getty Images

Bosnia's progress comes after years of play-off disappointment, having missed out on the 2010 World Cup and each of the last four European Championships.

They will now take their place in Group B at the World Cup alongside co-hosts Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.

Italy full-back Leonardo Spinazzola told RAI Sport: "Italian children will see another World Cup without Italy.

"I still can't believe that we went out like this, after playing with 10 men. With grit, we took it to penalties, we could have scored three or four goals so it's really a great disappointment for everyone."

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