'A delicate time' - Gianluigi Buffon writes heartfelt letter to Luciano Spalletti in wake of Italy sacking as legendary figure reflects on 'wonderful and difficult moments'

The legendary former goalkeeper, who now leads the national team delegation, bid a heartfelt farewell to the coach over a week since he announced in a press conference that he had been sacked in the wake of their defeat to Norway. "I did not resign, I would not have resigned. You fire me," Spalletti later clarified after a fiery exit, but Buffon has reached out with a gracious open letter.

The former Juventus goalkeeper wrote on an Instagram post: "Dear Luciano, I chose to wait a few days to avoid writing in the heat of the moment, but I wanted to thank you publicly and personally for your work over the years at the helm of the national team. You have faced this challenge with passion, competence and a great sense of responsibility at a delicate time for Italian football. Without ever losing sight of your vision and the humanity that has always accompanied you," reads the message.

"We have shared some wonderful moments and some more difficult ones, but always with the utmost respect and awareness that we are serving a mission that goes beyond the pitch, and a shirt that represents our Italy. Best of luck for your future, both personally and professionally."

Spalletti was appointed coach of the Italian national team in September 2023 and despite being sacked after the Norway game, remained in charge for the victory against Moldova on June 9. During his two years at the helm of the Azzurri, Spalletti also led the national team in the 2024 European Championship, which ended in the round of 16 with a defeat against Switzerland.

Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed as Spalletti's replacement. He was chosen by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for the challenging task of leading Italy through the qualifiers for the next World Cup. The FIGC had previously approached Claudio Ranieri and Stefano Pioli before turning to the former midfielder.