Defeated defeat to Norway, Italian national team coach Spaletti resigns | Arnautovic leaves Inter Milan

After the World Cup qualification was in jeopardy, the Italian national team coach Luciano Spaletti confirmed that he would resign after a Monday night against Moldova.

Sparetiti confirmed at a pre-match press conference against Moldova that he will resign as head coach of the Italian national team next week. Spaletti claimed that the Italian Football Association had informed him that he would be removed from office, but claimed he would choose to "terminate" the contract.

Sparetti will still command the Blues to face Moldova in the World Cup qualifiers on Monday night, after which he will officially leave the national team. "We had a conversation last night and they told me that I would resign as head coach of the national team."

"I'm sorry, given our relationship, I had no intention of giving up, and I would rather stay and continue to do my job, especially when things are not going well. However, if this is a disclaimer, then I have to accept it. I have always believed that this role is a service to the motherland and I want to help the future of the national team."

"I think it's right to find the best person, I'm going to terminate my contract. I'll be on the spot tomorrow night. I always think my players are strong. But under my management, it's the result and I have to take responsibility."

Spaletti answered a long list of questions from the reporters immediately after confirming the decision to leave, and finally stood up and walked out of the press room after being asked if he felt "betrayed".

Sparetti left after less than two years as head coach of the Italian national team, and he replaced Mancini after leaving for Saudi Arabia in August 2023 for gold. Since then, Spaletti has led the team to the 2024 European Cup, and last summer the Blues lost 0-2 to Switzerland to 2 in the quarterfinals.

The Blues started well in the European League, with an encouraging victory against France, Israel and Belgium, but ended up with a second place finish and then lost to Germany in the National League quarterfinals.

In the first game of the World Cup qualifiers, Italy lost 0-3 to Norway to the sidelines. Although Italy has played at least one less game than the rest of the group, they are already nine points behind the leader Norway. Only the teams ranked first in the UEFA qualifying tournament group are eligible to directly advance to the 2026 World Cup, and the teams ranked second will have to compete for a place in the World Cup finals through the play-offs. Austrian striker Marco Arnautovic confirmed that he will leave Inter after his contract expires at the end of June, but he hopes his teammates will make a comeback after the four majors of the season and win the Serie A championship in the 2025-26 season: "I believe they will become champions next season."

36-year-old Arnautovic, like Joaquin Correa and Rafael DiJennaro, his contract with the Nerazzurri will officially expire on June 30, 2025. Dutch defender De Vree's contract will also expire, but the current contract can be extended by another season.

In the 2009-10 season, Arnautovic was loaned to the Nerazzurri for training as a young player. Now the experienced Austrian center has confirmed that after returning to Inter for two years, it will leave the team again this summer as a free agent.

Anautovic told Sky Sports in Italy: "My time in Inter Milan is over and I will not be there anymore. I wish Zivo all the best and I believe they will become champions next season."

Although Inter Milan has been making a high-profile claim to compete for the triple-champion in April, the Nerazzurri lost to Napoli by one point in the 2024-25 league, was eliminated by AC Milan in the Italian Cup semi-finals, and lost 0-5 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Inter Milan head coach Simeone Inzaghi has left and headed to the Saudi professional league to coach Riyadh Crescent, with former Romanian defender Christian Zivo ready to take over.