Gattuso recalls Bosnia nightmare: I suffered from insomnia for months and I don't blame Bastoni

Gennaro Gattuso, the former head coach of the Italy national team, recalled the memories of "the Azzurri" being eliminated by Bosnia in the play-off for the FIFA World Cup 2026, affirming that that match left a wound that will stay with him for life.

Gennaro Gattuso spoke about the match during his participation in the 'Sports Festival' in Trento, where he said: "Events make the difference, and they are part of our world and our lives."

He added: "I must thank the players and everyone who worked with me, because they gave me everything they had. It is natural for this match to be a wound that will last a lifetime, but I cannot blame anyone."

The former Italy coach defended Alessandro Bastoni, who was sent off during the match, saying: "Even Bastoni, I thanked him. The mistake is part of the game, and he certainly did not intend to receive the red card."

Gennaro Gattuso confirmed that what bothers him is the reduction of the team's evaluation to just the result, explaining: "There are good things we did, because I feel annoyed that it seems like the result alone is what matters. Sometimes we also need to look at what the person is doing and how they are doing it."

Gennaro Gattuso has revealed the impact the match had on him, saying: "In the first few months, I had difficulty sleeping, and I would go on long walks until I felt tired enough to close my eyes." He concluded his remarks by stating that "the scar will remain forever," but he prefers to look ahead and focus on what needs to be done in the future.