According to Sky Sport Italia, former Azzurri legend Gennaro Gattuso has become the leading candidate to replace Luciano Spalletti as head coach of the Italy national team.

Transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Gattuso is now viewed as the top choice by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). The former midfielder’s name had already surfaced in previous discussions, alongside other notable candidates such as Roberto Mancini, Daniele De Rossi, and Fabio Cannavaro.

Initially, the FIGC had identified former AS Roma boss and current club advisor Claudio Ranieri as their preferred option, but he reportedly turned down the offer on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Stefano Pioli was also in contention, but the former AC Milan manager is said to have reached a verbal agreement with Fiorentina, ruling him out of the running.

Tuesday also marked the end of Luciano Spalletti’s tenure as Italy manager. His final match in charge saw the Azzurri secure a 2–0 victory over Moldova, bringing his chapter with the national team to a close.