Italy players wanted €300,000 bonus for World Cup qualification before Bosnia humiliation

According to La Repubblica, the Italian squad sought a significant financial incentive prior to their decisive World Cup play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group reportedly requested a total bonus of €300,000 to be shared among the team, which would have netted each player roughly €10,000 for securing a spot in the upcoming tournament.

Ex-head coach Gennaro Gattuso reportedly shut down the negotiations immediately, reminding his players that rewards are earned through results. The head coach, legendary for his 'grinta' as a player, was left frustrated by the squad's lack of focus during such a high-stakes week.

"The sad ending proved Rino right, but sums up the mindset with which some Italian players got to the game that could have brought Italy back to the World Cup," La Repubblica noted. Following the penalty shootout heartbreak, senior figures tried to persuade Gattuso to stay, but the manager stood by his principles. He informed the squad that he would not continue after such a catastrophic failure to meet national expectations.

The fallout from Zenica has triggered a total collapse of the Italian football hierarchy. Gattuso’s resignation on Friday was followed by the departures of FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and Delegation Chief Gianluigi Buffon. The federation is now in a state of total transition, forced to rebuild from the wreckage of a third consecutive World Cup exclusion. The revelation of the bonus request has only deepened the crisis, with critics citing a systemic lack of humility within the current generation. The focus must now shift toward a radical overhaul of the squad's culture and leadership to prevent further historic embarrassments.

Gli Azzurri will once again be mere spectators at this summer's World Cup. The national team's next objective is the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign, where they will need to integrate a new coaching staff and a revamped squad to restore their tarnished reputation.