By Marcella Mwinkoma Babing
Italy confronts Northern Ireland tonight in the FIFA World Cup 2026 play-off semi-final at Bergamo’s New Balance Arena, desperate to shatter a 12-year absence after missing 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Head caoch Gennaro Gattuso, revealed that the preparation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland has given him a tossing and turning night considering that, it is the most important game in his career.
“And I do feel that this is the most important game in my career. I have been coaching for a number of years now, but certainly tomorrow’s game is the most important fixture of my coaching career so far”, he stated.
Speaking on Wednesday March 25, he emphasized that, he remains optimistic Italy will perform beyond expectation in today’s game with Northern Ireland.
“believe me, I’m not thinking about things going badly. I’m thinking positively. I want to think big, and we certainly will compete tomorrow. We’ll see how things pan out”, he said.
He expressed how the pressure had given him toss and turn nights over the period and he had to take sleeping pills to sleep in other not to stay awake like a nocturnal creature such as a bat though he was allergic to them when he was a young player.
“my doctor always gives us the sleeping pill every now and then. So as a player, I was actually allergic to them, but the older I get, the more help I need otherwise, 4:30am 5am I wake up wide eyed like a bat”.
According to him, the use of football technology has played a pivotal role in the team’s tactical readiness featuring video analysis of previous game strategies as well as boosting their morale.
“They have passwords to be able to see tactical systems and footage and clips. And for the last two days, we’ve been in the video analysis room, and they’re well aware. So we mustn’t be found wanting there. We need to sniff out the danger, and we need to figure out that they really believe on every single 5050, we need to compete on that score”, he said.
UEFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Semi-Finals: Thursday’s Fixtures
| Path | Match | Venue | Kickoff (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Italy vs Northern Ireland | Bergamo | 20:45 |
| A | Wales vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | Cardiff | 20:45 |
| B | Türkiye vs Romania | Istanbul | 20:45 |
| B | Czechia vs Republic of Ireland | Prague | 20:45 |
| C | Denmark vs North Macedonia | Copenhagen | 20:45 |
| C | Poland vs Albania | Warsaw | 20:45 |
| D | Slovakia vs Kosovo | Bratislava | 20:45 |
| D | Ukraine vs Sweden | Kharkiv | 20:45 |
