Rino Gattuso reveals Italy exclusion was Federico Chiesa’s personal decision

Italy manager Rino Gattuso has provided a definitive explanation for the absence of Federico Chiesa from the latest Azzurri squad, confirming that the Liverpool winger’s exclusion was a result of his own personal decision.

Speaking at the national team’s training base in Coverciano, Gattuso was directly questioned about the physical condition of Chiesa and the reasons behind his non-selection for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Norway.

The coach was quick to dismiss any concerns over Chiesa’s fitness or form, stating via TMW: “I speak with him often, and we must respect the choices, the issues that each of us has.”

Gattuso stressed that he must honor the player’s wishes: “I know well what we say to each other; I must respect what the player tells me. I can say no more, but the truth is this.”

When pressed further on whether it was specifically Chiesa’s choice, Gattuso confirmed: “Yes, yes… it’s an easy read.”

This clarification establishes that Chiesa’s current absence is entirely down to a personal decision by the player himself, rather than any technical or physical assessment by the national team coach. This has also been the case in the last few months.

Gattuso also used the press conference to address the perceived lack of goals in Serie A, suggesting the real problem lies not in goal-scoring but in the dwindling number of quality Italian players available.