Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso has called up veteran Marco Verratti to his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers playoffs.
A report by Tuttosport reveals that Italy boss Gattuso has decided to bet on Verratti, who has been out of the national team for almost three years. The former Paris Saint-Germain man last played for the Azzurri on June 18, 2023, in the Nations League third place match against The Netherlands, which they won by a 3-2 margin.
Verratti currently plays for Al-Duhail in the Qatar Stars League, and he left European club football in the summer of 2023, after making the second most appearances in the history of PSG. Italian fans thought that it was the end for the 33-year-old in terms of featuring for his country, but Gattuso’s surprise pick has indicated towards a change in the required mentality of his team ahead of a possible World Cup.
The midfielder has been called up for Italy’s playoff match against Northern Ireland on March 26, should they win, it will be followed up by a game against either of Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
