Spalletti Bids Adieu After a Dull Display Against Moldova in WCQ
Avoiding embarrassment in World Cup qualifiers, Italy manages a win against Moldova.
In the swan song of Luciano Spalletti, Italy just barely dodged a bullet in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, edging past Moldova 2-0 (1-0) in Reggio Emilia. However, Italy's defense was shaky once more, and their offensive prowess was absent, restrained to just two goals from Giacomo Raspadori (40.) and Andrea Cambiaso (50.).
As Norway triumphed over Estonia 1-0 (0:0), courtesy of Erling Haaland's goal (62.), Italy's fear of missing out on another World Cup intensifies. With a setback in their opening qualifier against Norway (0:3), the path to the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico seems arduous. Only the group winner qualifies directly, with the runner-up facing playoffs.
Spalletti's reign was formally brought to an end after nearly two years. Before the game, he announced his own dismissal, sharing, "I'll take my seat on the bench tomorrow and consent to the contract termination. I'm sorry, I wished I could have stayed to try and bring about change."
Claudio Ranieri, aged 73, is poised to step in as Spalletti's successor. Despite earlier retirement from coaching, he recently lent a helping hand to AS Roma. Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma's owner Dan Friedkin has given Ranieri permission to double as both club advisor and national team coach.
The Road Ahead for Ranieri
Ranieri's new role comes with numerous obstacles to overcome. The encounter with Moldova presented a stark illustration of the challenges that lie ahead. With only Ion Nicolaescu's offside header (9') and Luca Ranieri's near miss (17') threatening in the first half, the hosts struggled to find their footing. Moldova continued to pose a threat through Oleg Reabciuk and Artur Ionita (43'), leaving Ranieri with a mammoth task at hand to secure World Cup qualification.
After Italy's disappointing showings in recent competitions, including a dismal Euro 2024 campaign and a Round of 16 exit against Switzerland[1][3], rebuilding team confidence, preparing for the qualification pressure, and injecting morale back into the squad will be crucial for the new coach. He will also need to reformulate the team's strategy, select the most suitable players, and implement changes swiftly to turn the team's fortunes around[2].
Several contenders are under consideration for the role, including Gennaro Gattuso, Daniele De Rossi, Fabio Cannavaro, and Jose Mourinho[2]. With the World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, the new coach must hit the ground running to bring Italy back to the top.
- Football
- World Cup Qualifiers
- Italy
- Moldova
In his new role as coach of Italy, Claudio Ranieri faces the daunting task of securing World Cup qualification, having witnessed the challenges posed by Moldova in their recent encounter. Rebuilding team confidence, preparing for the qualification pressure, and injecting morale back into the squad will be crucial, as Italy aims to turn its fortunes around in the football World Cup qualifiers.
Given Italy's latest disappointing performances in competitions such as Euro 2024 and the Round of 16 exit against Switzerland, Ranieri will need to focus on reformulating the team's strategy, selecting the most suitable players, and implementing changes swiftly to effectively compete in vocational training for the World Cup spots.
