Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurrifailing to reach a third straight World Cupcontinued to send shockwaves through Italian football.

A World Cup winner in 2006, Gattuso leaves after less than a year in charge of Italy, a team which has fallen far behind historic rivals likeFranceand Spain in the last two decades.

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Defeat on penalties toBosnia and Hercegovinain Tuesday's qualification play-off final ended up costing Gattuso his job, as the man who hired him also stepped down as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Gabriele Gravina had asked Gattuso to stay on immediately after elimination in Zenica but his departure, and that of national team general managerGianluigi Buffon, paved the way for the 48-year-old to resign.

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Gattuso took charge ofItalyin June last year following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti, himself a victim of a dismal title defence atEuro 2024and a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Erling Haaland's Norway in their firstWorld Cupqualifier.

His record is impressive on paper, with six wins, one defeat and one draw in eight matches with 22 goals scored and 10 conceded.

But that draw was the 1-1 with Bosnia which preceded a penalty shoot-out in which Italy missed twice, while the loss was another humiliating one toNorway, this time 4-1 at the San Siro.

Gattuso was considered by many a strange choice to replace Spalletti due to his spotty club coaching record, and he was heavily criticised after Tuesday's elimination.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Originally published on France24