Luciano Spalletti has been dismissed from his role as Italy head coach following a heavy defeat to Norway, though he will still oversee their upcoming fixture against Moldova.

Spalletti made the announcement during a press conference on Sunday, two days after Italy suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Norway, marking a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

“Last night we were together with [Italian Football Federation] president Gabriele Gravina,” Spalletti confirmed. “He told me that I will be relieved of my position as coach of the national team.

I had no intention of giving up. I would have preferred to remain in my position and continue doing my job.

I’ll be there tomorrow evening against Moldova, then we’ll resolve the contract.”

Spalletti’s tenure has lasted less than two years, having replaced Roberto Mancini in September 2023.

While he succeeded in guiding Italy to Euro 2024, the team’s underwhelming tournament performance had already cast doubt over his long-term future.

Italy entered last summer’s Euros in Germany as the defending champions, but struggled to find their rhythm. After opening the group with a win over Albania, they were beaten by Spain and only managed a late equaliser against Croatia, narrowly advancing to the last 16. There, they were comprehensively beaten 2-0 by Switzerland, a result that drew sharp criticism.

However, Spalletti’s side appeared to bounce back in the UEFA Nations League, where they recorded an impressive 3-1 away victory over France, suffering just one defeat in the campaign. They were pipped to top spot by the French, finishing second on goal difference after a home loss to France in the final group fixture.

Italy began 2025 with a 2-1 home defeat to Germany in the Nations League quarter-final first leg at San Siro. In the return leg in Dortmund, Italy trailed 3-0 at half-time, but mounted a spirited comeback to earn a draw. Despite their fightback, it was not enough to secure a place in the semi-finals.

But the setback against Norway proved more damaging. Italy once again found themselves 3-0 down by half-time, this time with no reply, leaving their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Following their failure to qualify for the past two FIFA World Cup finals, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has opted to act decisively. The result in Oslo leaves Italy with an uphill battle to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Spalletti is expected to take charge for the Moldova match, after which discussions will take place regarding the formal termination of his contract.