Gattuso keeps mum on tactics ahead of the Estonia clash

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has kept people guessing on what tactical system he will adopt against Estonia on his debut.

The Italian legend was appointed as a replacement for Luciano Spalletti in June. He will begin his Italian adventure as a coach this week, as Italy returns to the FIFA World Cup after missing it the last time.

Speaking at his first press conference, the former AC Milan midfielder said Italy must have both humility and arrogance when taking risks ahead of his debut, which will be at the Stadio di Bergamo on Friday night.

Confessing that he won’t get a good sleep till after the match, Gatusso said It’s not the excitement that keeps him up, but thoughts. 

Expressing his delight at the decision of the Italian federation to hire him, Gatusso singled out President Gabriele Gravina and former goalkeeper Gigi Buffon for what he described as an extraordinary opportunity to be the national team manager.

“I might feel emotional when I look up in the stands to see my father, mother, and sister. But then we focus on the game,” he said.

About the tactical approach towards the game, it is left to see the formation Gatusso will adopt. He is expected to shelve Spalletti’s three-man defence for a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation.

He further noted that numbers are not important, but good preparation, adding that what must be on their mind is Estonia and not their next opponent, Israel.

Gatusso also revealed that his team have been studying Estonia for two months.

 “They build out from the back with quality, including from the goalkeeper, and if you don’t press them well, then they can attack very effectively.

“They defend with four at the back, but can switch to five, and are dangerous with rapid counter-attacks. We need a great performance, because everyone thinks it’s meant to be easy, but there are no easy games,” he added.

While calling for a combination of very conflicting approaches in different moments, Gatusso said Italy must have humility and arrogance. 

“Humility is fighting back when you misplace a pass, arrogance is choosing to make a difficult pass and not just worrying you’ll get it wrong, and therefore avoiding risks.”

Gattuso also noted that a culture shift has been the reason Italy has been struggling to create and develop young talent in recent years.

He said several centres have been closed. He added that kids no longer play football in the street, as their parents are too worried. This, he said, led to fewer and fewer opportunities for kids to just play.

“They only get 7-8 hours on the field per week now. We lack the infrastructure of other countries, while it costs €6,000 per year just for the right kit. We don’t lack talent; the problem is that they don’t get the chance to play.