Gennaro Gattuso, the coach of the Italian national team, offered his apologies to the Azzurri fans following the harsh defeat against Norway with a score of 4-1 in the World Cup qualifiers, stressing that the team 'fears' in difficult moments and that this behavior must change before entering the playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The coach said: 'First of all, we must apologize to our fans because losing 4-1 is a heavy result. It's unfortunate because the first half was very good, and we were a real team, but the big disappointment is that the second half was not at the same level.'

The coach praised Norway's performance but confirmed that the team's collapse was evident after the break: 'In the first half, we did everything we should have done, then we faced many difficulties after the break. We completely lost our shape, started losing the ball easily, and left spaces for Norway to play in.'

Gattuso further explained the reasons for the national team's collapse in the second half of the match: 'We started losing the ball and making wrong passes, and we were trapped. That's simply what happened.'

Italy awaits a long break before returning to play the semi-final of the playoff on March 26, hoping to reach the final on March 31 and secure a World Cup qualifying spot.

Gattuso concluded his statements with a clear message to the players: 'We must build on the first half's performance when we were organized and solid. But as soon as the opponent creates a chance, fear starts to creep in. We must change this and become braver. We are afraid, and this must change.'