Luciano Spalletti Sacked as Italy Head Coach Following World Cup Qualifying Defeat

Luciano Spalletti has been officially dismissed as head coach of the Italy national team, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Sunday.

The decision comes in the wake of a humiliating 3–0 loss to Norway in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. According to the FIGC statement, Spalletti will remain in charge for Italy’s upcoming match against Moldova on Monday before stepping down.

“I’ve spent the last few hours with the president,” Spalletti said in a brief comment to the press. “Gabriele Gravina informed me that I’ll be dismissed as head coach. I’m disappointed—I had no intention of leaving. I wanted to continue this journey.”

Italy’s goal drought has now stretched to three consecutive World Cup qualifying matches—an unprecedented low in the history of the Squadra Azzurra.

The shock result and poor attacking form have triggered immediate action from the federation, with the pressure mounting after a string of unconvincing performances under Spalletti, who took over the reins just last year following his title-winning run with Napoli.