India, April 3 -- Italy coach Gennaro Ivan Gattuso stepped down on Friday after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This was the third time in a row that Italy qualified for the tournament, marking a new low in their football history. The development was confirmed by the Italian Football Federation. Italy's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup ended earlier this week after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff match.

Gattuso stepped down a day after the resignation of Gabriele Gravina, the Italian Soccer Federation president. Moreover, Gianluigi Buffon, who was the national team's delegation chief, also stepped down from his post.

Gattuso had taken over the reins from the fir...