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Italy’s coach, Gennaro Gattuso, has expressed profound distress regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza, an issue that precedes the team’s upcoming, high-tension 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel in Udine next Tuesday.
The Azzurri will first face Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday, but attention has turned to their upcoming home match against Israel, which comes amid widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Italy.
On Friday, demonstrators gathered outside Italy’s national training centre in Florence, calling for the game to be cancelled as part of a nationwide strike in support of Palestinians.
More rallies are planned in Udine ahead of next week’s match, prompting a heavy security presence around the Bluenergy Stadium.
“We know we have to play because otherwise we’ll lose 3-0,” Gattuso told reporters on Tuesday. “But it’s very sad to see what’s happening to innocent people, especially children. It hurts my heart to watch all that suffering.”
Italy has been at the centre of some of Europe’s largest protests against Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which began two years ago after Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities.
The devastating humanitarian toll has fuelled calls for Israel to be suspended from international sporting events.
Ticket sales for Tuesday’s qualifier have reportedly been sluggish, with large sections of empty seats expected.
“It won’t be an easy atmosphere because there will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and maybe 5,000 or 6,000 inside,” Gattuso added. “We want to qualify for the World Cup, and I would have preferred to play at home in front of a full, enthusiastic crowd like we did in Bergamo.”
Italy, who missed the last two World Cups, currently sit second in Group I with nine points, level with Israel and six points behind leaders Norway, but with a game in hand.
Only the group winners qualify automatically for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while second place offers a playoff spot.
The two sides met in September in Hungary, where Israel have been hosting their home games since the conflict began.
Italy narrowly won 5–4 in a heated encounter, during which some Italian fans turned their backs during the Israeli national anthem and displayed banners reading “Stop.”
