Luciano Spalletti is currently conducting his final training session as coach of the Italy national team. This follows his announcement that he will step down after Monday`s World Cup qualifier against Moldova.
Let`s review the circumstances surrounding Spalletti`s impending departure and what the future holds for the squad.
Spalletti Confirms Italy Exit
Just two days after the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Norway in Italy`s opening World Cup qualifier for the campaign, Spalletti revealed during his pre-match press conference that he would be leaving his position as head coach.
Spalletti informed reporters that FIGC President Gabriele Gravina had indicated he would be dismissed, but the coach stated his intention to resign formally after Monday`s match against Moldova.
This news comes in the wake of the 3-0 loss to Norway, a result that has significantly complicated Italy`s qualification prospects. They currently trail the top team in World Cup qualification Group I by nine points, making automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament a challenging task.
Spalletti`s tenure also included a notably underwhelming EURO 2024 campaign, which saw Italy eliminated in the Round of 16 after a poor 2-0 performance against Switzerland.
While the Nations League campaign following EURO 2024 started promisingly with victories over France, Israel, and Belgium, Italy finished second in their group and were subsequently knocked out by Germany over two legs in the quarter-finals.
Considering the Germany quarter-finals and the recent Norway defeat, Italy`s performance in their three international matches in 2025 shows one draw and two losses.
The Path Forward for Spalletti and Italy
Spalletti is now leading his final training session with the Italian team, preparing them for their second 2026 World Cup qualifier, scheduled for Monday evening at home against Moldova.
He confirmed he would be present with the team at the Mapei Stadium for the match and would then negotiate the terms of his departure with the FIGC shortly afterwards.
Once his contract termination is finalized, Spalletti will be free to explore other coaching opportunities.
Meanwhile, Italy must now begin the search for a new head coach to guide the team through the remainder of the 2026 World Cup qualification process, which has become significantly more challenging.
According to reports on Sunday, Stefano Pioli and Claudio Ranieri are considered the leading candidates for the role, with Pioli reportedly viewed as the more viable option at this time.
