Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso is relishing their World Cup play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina, insisting “anyone who is in football lives for moments like this”.<\/p>\n
The Azzurri face Bosnia in Zenica after defeating Northern Ireland 2-0 in their play-off semi-final, while Bosnia overcame Wales on penalties.<\/p>\n
Moise Kean netted Italy’s second goal against Northern Ireland, becoming the first player since Salvatore Schillaci to score in five consecutive games for the Azzurri, after Sandro Tonali opened the scoring.<\/p>\n
Italy failed to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, despite winning the Euros in 2021, and Gattuso wants his team to rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n
“Anyone who is in football lives for moments like this,” Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia.<\/p>\n
“Personally, I feel the tingle of tension, there\u2019s nothing better than that. If you don\u2019t feel it, then you have to hang your boots up, or as a coach just go home.<\/p>\n
“We know there is a lot at stake, we\u2019re well aware that Italy have not participated in the last two World Cups, but we also must reserve all that energy for the pitch and not waste it beforehand.<\/p>\n
“In the last seven months, the team has improved a great deal. We might not be particularly pretty, but that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n
“Our history says that with mentality, hunger, and the ability to suffer through difficulty, so many of us were able to achieve amazing and entirely unexpected things wearing this shirt. So that is something we cannot do without.”<\/p>\n
Forty-year-old Edin Dzeko scored the equaliser for Bosnia against Wales before they won 4-2 on penalties in Cardiff.<\/p>\n
Italy’s Federico Dimarco and Guglielmo Vicario were both seen celebrating the win, which Dzeko believes could be an indicator of problems within the Italy team.<\/p>\n
“We all saw what happened,” Dzeko said. “I\u2019ll tell you honestly that it\u2019s a very normal thing. Like I said before, we all have our preferences.<\/p>\n
“Mine might have been to not play against Italy in this final. I can\u2019t celebrate because I\u2019m playing against them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Italy didn\u2019t want to play in Wales, I don\u2019t know why. We went there without fear and we won. I don\u2019t know why Italy should be afraid of Wales or Bosnia.<\/p>\n
“They have an incredible national team, which has won four World Cups. If they\u2019re afraid to play in Wales, something isn\u2019t working.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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