"Federico Dimarco couldn't wait to get off the pitch at the end of a late, but meaningless, 2-0 win against Moldova and his Italy teammates and coach Gennaro Gattuso weren't far behind, none of them acknowledging the 400 Italy supporters who had made the trip to Chișinău. Protests against the Italian Federation and chants directed at the players and Gattuso, who has only been in charge of the team since June, prompted the coach to hit back at the traveling fans and highlight the pressure that the coach and squad are under."
"This is not the time to tell the players to go get a job," Gattuso said. "Honestly, I don't accept the fans' jeering. Now we all need to stay united."
"It was a sixth win in seven games in Group I of UEFA World Cup qualifying for Italy, but 2-0 was nowhere near enough on a night when they needed to hammer the bottom team in the group as it leaves the four-time world champions -- only Brazil have won more World Cups -- needing to beat Norway by nine goals in Milan on Sunday to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2014."
Italy beat Moldova 2-0 in Chișinău but failed to secure the margin required for automatic 2026 World Cup qualification. The result means Italy must beat Norway by nine goals in Milan to qualify directly, an outcome described as practically impossible given Norway's perfect group record. Approximately 400 traveling supporters protested and jeered, and several players, including Federico Dimarco, left the pitch without acknowledging them. Coach Gennaro Gattuso publicly rebuked the jeering and urged unity, saying players should not be told to 'go get a job.' The win was Italy's sixth in seven Group I matches but likely forces a playoff.
Read at ESPN.com
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