MBABANE – Uproar.
Italian football icon Gennaro Gattuso has ignited a furious backlash across the global football community after appearing to blame Africa for Italy’s failure to secure direct qualification for the for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup.
His comments are widely viewed as racist and a dismissive swipe at the African continent’s undeniable, growing football prowess.
The former AC Milan midfield stalwart and current manager of Italy made the provocative remarks during a recent interview, explicitly questioning FIFA’s qualification structure at a time when African football is on a clear and steady upward trajectory on the world stage.
Gattuso’s statements have landed poorly across Africa, where fans, analysts and administrators see them as a blatant attempt to undermine the continent’s progress rather than acknowledge its significant achievements.
Many observers see the racist undertones in Gattuso’s comments as wilfully ignorant of documented African football progress. The remarks echo a troubling, long-standing pattern within certain European football circles, including controversial statements like those made by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who described the Africa Cup of Nations as not being a ‘major’ tournament.
Speaking to Morocco World News, Gattuso said: “In my day, the best [group] runners-up went straight to the World Cup; now the rules have changed.”
He continued: “To change the rules, you need to tell those who organise these tournaments. In 1990 and 1994, there were two African [three qualified in 1994] teams, now there are nine. It’s not a controversy, but there are difficulties, and we know it well,” he added.
His comments completely overlook the recent, tangible success of African teams. Morocco, for instance, famously stunned the world by becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022. Senegal and Nigeria regularly advance to the knockout stages, while many other African teams have delivered memorable tournament runs that have captivated global audiences.
Italian national team Coach Gennaro Gattuso. (Pic: French Football Weekly)