Italy staying positive before ‘most important game’ for WC spot

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has warned his players not to take Northern Ireland lightly as he prepares for “the most important game” of his career.

After failing to qualify for either of the last two World Cups, the four-time world champions can barely contemplate the idea of defeat against Michael O’Neill’s men in their qualifying playoff semifinal in Bergamo on Thursday night.

Gattuso, a World Cup winner as a player back in 2006, was brought in by Italy in June after a poor start to their Group I campaign, but was unable to achieve automatic qualification as they finished second behind Norway.

The pressure on Italy to deliver via these playoffs — with the winner of Thursday’s match advancing to a final against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina — is now intense.

“I’d be lying if I said when I put my head on the pillow at night, I didn’t hear the voices saying ‘Take us to the World Cup, take us to the World Cup, take us to the World Cup’,” Gattuso said.

“I hear it, and this is certainly the most important game of my career, even if I’ve been coaching for a few years now.

“Having said that, I am prepared, and believe me I am not thinking about things going badly. I want to think positive, to think big. Tomorrow we will play our game, and then we’ll see.”

Gattuso has a squad full of players with experience at the highest levels, but still pointed to the threat of a motivated and hungry Northern Ireland team, who will be missing two of their Premier League talents in the injured Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard.

O’Neill’s young team has evolved in their playing style, but Gattuso said he still saw a side whose primary approach was to hit it long and scrap for second balls — the sort of comments which caused controversy when they came from Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann during last year’s Group A campaign.

Gattuso insisted he meant no disrespect with his analysis.

“We must be ready to suffer when Northern Ireland systematically pump the ball into the box,” Gattuso said. “Remember that any free kick will see their goalkeeper smack a long ball forward with eight or nine players showing incredible hunger fighting for the loose ball and rebound.

“[The players] know what they need to do, to sniff out danger, believe in every single ball. We’ve also got to be wary on set plays. I’m not saying long balls is the only way they play, but it is their primary characteristic, and they do it very well.”

Gattuso revealed earlier this week that over the course of the last few months he has traveled up and down Italy and made several trips abroad to share dinners with his players and keep up team spirit.

One of those trips was to Saudi Arabia, where the striker leading the line for Italy, Mateo Retegui, plays under Brendan Rodgers with Al Qadsiah.

Retegui spoke glowingly of the Northern Irishman, who has won 14 and drawn three since taking charge in December.

“I have a wonderful rapport with Brendan,” Retegui said. “I’ve only got good things to say about him.

“He’s wished me the best of luck, but we speak about other things [besides this game]. He’s a wonderful man, he’s a top coach, and he’s already proven that at all of the clubs he’s worked for in the past.”

Information from PA was used in this story.