Gattuso on Italy leaders, Premier League power and Winter World Cup
Gennaro Gattuso believes Italy ‘have certainly improved’ from last month, but warns the economic gap makes it ‘a different sport’ to the Premier League, while he dislikes FIFA aims for another Winter World Cup.
The game with Estonia kicks off at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinn at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.
Tonight’s match will be available to watch live in the UK and Ireland on Amazon Prime Video. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via DirecTV Stream, Sling TV and Tubi TV.
When these sides met in Bergamo last month, it was the debut for new coach Gennaro Gattuso, resulting in a 5-0 victory.
That was followed by a less encouraging 5-4 win over Israel, and the Azzurri continue to play catch-up with runaway group leaders Norway.
Gattuso sees Italy improvements from debut matches
“There were already obvious differences in the fitness levels of the lads, and I want to thank the clubs for allowing us to collaborate with them throughout the last few months. The lads have certainly improved and are ready for these games,” Gattuso told RAI Sport.
Giacomo Raspadori contributed two goals and two assists in Gattuso’s games so far for Italy, and starts again this evening. Is he one of the leaders of this squad?
“I like to have more than one leader, so some who talk a lot, some who do their talking on the pitch, but we need the whole team. Jack is a player with incredible quality, he can give us a big hand, just like the others.”
Several of the current Italy players have moved to the Premier League for their club football, such as Sandro Tonali, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Riccardo Calafiori, but Gattuso insists it can only help Italian football overall.
“They play another sport on an economic level, it’s tough to say, but it has to be said. A player at a ‘small’ club there earns four or five times as much as he can at the biggest club here,” said the coach.
“People ask why our players leave Italy, that’s why, because they are given so much money. Also, they get a genuine day off there, which was already my situation when I played for Glasgow Rangers in 1997, whereas our culture is to have this constant stress.
“We worry about what the fans say, the President, the director of sport, it’s more complicated. It’s up to us to start setting the parameters and putting a different approach.”
With a packed fixture list, this week FIFA President Gianni Infantino suggested playing the next 2030 World Cup in Saudi Arabia during the Winter, following in the footsteps of the 2022 event in Qatar.
However, Gattuso can confirm he is not a fan of this idea.
“I can only say I experienced it myself as coach of Valencia, the World Cup in Qatar made it difficult, you had to stop, start all over again mid-season, play 18 games to finish the season.
“It was something new, I don’t want to contradict the President, but this is really not ideal for anyone.”