June 09, (THEWILL) – Luciano Spalletti’s time managing Italy came to an end on Monday night with a 2-0 win against Moldova, though the victory could not mask deeper concerns about the Azzurri’s World Cup qualifying campaign. The 65-year-old coach had already been informed of his dismissal before kickoff at Reggio Emilia, following last week’s damaging 3-1 loss to Norway that left Italy bottom of Group I.
Moldova nearly stunned their hosts when striker Ion Nicolaescu found the net after nine minutes, but VAR intervened to rule him offside. That reprieve sparked Italy into life, with chances falling to Luca Ranieri and Federico Dimarco before Giacomo Raspadori fired home a loose ball on the volley just before the break. Dimarco then prevented an equaliser with a crucial goal-line clearance from Daniel Dumbravanu’s effort.
Andrea Cambiaso wrapped up the points early in the second period, finishing neatly after Riccardo Orsolini’s cross from the right. Italy controlled the remainder of the match despite Davide Frattesi spurning a clear opportunity late on. The comfortable nature of the win against the world’s 154th-ranked team highlighted the level of opposition they should be beating convincingly.
Spalletti departs having won 12 of his 24 matches in charge, but his legacy will be defined by key failures in major tournaments and qualifying campaigns. Italy’s federation moved quickly to remove him after the Norway defeat exposed fundamental tactical and motivational issues within the squad. The search for his successor begins immediately, with several Serie A coaches already being linked to the role.
The new manager will inherit a team nine points behind group leaders Norway with crucial fixtures approaching. Italy’s qualification hopes now depend on a dramatic improvement in form and results, making the next appointment critical for their chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup in North America. Monday’s win provides minimal comfort given the scale of the challenge ahead.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
