Gianfranco Zola insists Italy cannot tolerate another World Cup qualifying failure and says Gennaro Gattuso needs full backing from all sides. The former Azzurri forward stresses that a third straight absence from the tournament would damage the national team’s status, and believes unity around the head coach is essential ahead of the March play-offs.
Zola, who played for Italy at the 1994 World Cup, reminds supporters and media that recent setbacks cannot overshadow the team’s potential. The ex-forward urges patience with Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti in June, and calls for a positive environment as preparations intensify for the crucial fixtures.
Zola underlines the historical weight of the current situation, pointing to back-to-back
failures in 2018 and 2022. Italy missed those tournaments after play-off defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia. Zola warns that the consequences of another slip would be severe for Italian football, which already felt those earlier eliminations deeply.
"The history of our football can't afford this, and therefore, everyone, including the press, has to play a role and help create the right atmosphere," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We're not to be thrown away, and we weren't before either, but we have to be there, because having already missed two was a heavy blow. Gattuso must be supported, even by luck. "
Italy finished second behind Norway in their qualifying group and now enter the play-offs for next year’s World Cup. The Azzurri face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals on March 26. If Italy progress, the final arrives three days later against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a World Cup place on the line.
Qualification would place Italy in Group B with Qatar, Switzerland and co-hosts Canada. That prospect underscores the stakes around these play-offs, as missing another tournament would extend the gap since the Azzurri’s last World Cup appearance. The team’s recent continental success contrasts sharply with this global frustration.
Should Italy qualify for next summer's World Cup, we will be in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland#FIFAWorldCup #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/ay9P5fX3eLItaly(@Azzurri_En) December 5, 2025
Italy World Cup qualifying focus as Zola assesses Serie A race
Alongside concerns over Italy’s World Cup push, Zola also reflects on the Serie A title race. Former club Napoli sit third in the table, just two points behind leaders Inter, and remain firmly involved in the chase for successive Scudetti, something the club has never achieved before in its history.
The ex-Partenopei forward spent four years at Napoli and helped win the 1989-90 Scudetto. That connection shapes Zola’s view of the current campaign. "I think Inter remain the best team, even if only by a little," he added. "But I'm romantic, and I'll say Napoli because of what it has represented in my life. My first child was born there, and I've received so much. "
Zola’s comments link domestic form and national ambition, with several leading Serie A players central to Italy’s World Cup qualifying campaign. For Zola, protecting the national team’s status on the world stage and seeing Napoli compete for honours capture the same idea: Italian football must meet expectations again after painful recent setbacks.
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