Buffon: ‘Honesty and maximum transparency’ with Spalletti over Italy sack

Luciano Spalletti and Gigi Buffon Italy bench EPA-EFE/ETTORE FERRARI

Italy team manager Gigi Buffon insists being open and honest with Luciano Spalletti over his sacking was a form of ‘respect and maximum transparency,’ but now the players must ‘give a response.’

It kicks off at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT, 20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The atmosphere is entirely bizarre leading up to this crucial match, because Spalletti already announced in yesterday’s press conference that he has been fired, and it will be his final game in charge.

The decision felt inevitable after the 3-0 defeat in Norway on Friday, but few expected it to be made and above all revealed hours before the second fixture in Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Buffon defends Italy treatment of Spalletti

“Without doubt, if I had to write a book about Spalletti, I would call it simply ‘A Man,’ because that is what he is,” FIGC Team Manager Buffon told Sky Sport Italia.

“We are dealing with a man who we respected from start to finish, just as he respected us. We decided to act with maximum transparency, because we knew that we were dealing with someone special.

“This is why we took this risk, because we were convinced it was the right thing to do. I am convinced we would make the same decision a hundred times over, because when you are dealing with Luciano, you have to just tell the truth. There’s no point creating fiction, being vague, and in that sense I am very similar to Luciano,” continued Buffon.

“I was a player, I know that in my career people would tell me these half-truths, thinking they were softening the blow. I would reply, I am Buffon, you can just tell me the truth. This is how we prefer it. So we all got together and spoke the truth.

“His focus is only on the squad, the match and the victory. His pre-match speech was perfect, top class, and this is because he is a top class individual.”

Buffon confirmed he was in the room when Spalletti was informed by FIGC President Gabriele Gravina that he would be sacked, regardless of the result this evening.

“We agreed it would go this way and this is how it went. We were all present, unlike the reports that the President was off at a buffet somewhere and others in different rooms. No, we were all there with Spalletti and it was only right, because Luciano is someone who wants to experience things first hand. We were there in case anything was needed, but we were perfectly in sync,” assured the former goalkeeper.

“The only thing we need to do now is concentrate, hope the players can give the coach one final gift, but above all a gift to these fans. I am so struck by the enthusiasm and unconditional affection of the fans, especially after the performance of a few days ago. This is not something to be normalised or taken for granted, because it is not,” assured Buffon.

Do the Italy players recognise that if Spalletti has been sacked, the fault is also theirs for the performances that were below par?

“I hope the lads reflected on that, I believe they did, but the most important thing is to give the right response on the field. That is where they express themselves in their language and must give the responses we are all looking for,” added Buffon.

There have been reports that Claudio Ranieri is the first choice to take over, despite having attempted retirement twice in the last year.

He was already dragged out of his dotage to rescue Roma, then was hoping to take a softer off the field role as advisor for Roma.

“It is something the President is taking care of. My job is to stay with the squad and the coach, trying to do something good, if I can, and get the best out of everyone. As of today, I don’t think I did my job very well, so it might be high time I start doing better too,” concluded Buffon.