Di Canio “cannot be affected” by Italy’s victory over Estonia
BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Italy national team lineup ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Italy and Estonia at Bergamo Stadium on September 05, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbut/Getty Images)
Paolo Di Canio was not enthusiastic about Italy’s 3-1 win over Estonia, but he appreciates the “sense of belonging” shown by the players under Gennaro Gattuso.
Di Canio, the former Serie A and West Ham striker, remains critical of the Italian national team despite three successive wins under new coach Gattuso.
When asked if he was excited about the Azzurri’s 3-1 win over Estonia last night, Di Canio replied:Via Naples Magazine): “My answer is no.”
Di Canio is “not excited” about Italy’s victory over Estonia
The former West Ham star continued: “If I am excited about a win like this, it means I put Italy somewhere between Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, and with all due respect, I think we are stronger than that.”
“Then I will throw my football knowledge into the trash, ignoring the level of our opponent.
“Finally, if I have to do it just to please someone, it’s not my style. I care deeply about the national team, and that’s exactly why I’m so critical.
“When I think that just a few weeks ago, we didn’t deserve to beat Israel and only won 5-4 in the final seconds, while Norway could have beaten them 12-0, I simply cannot overstate it.”
Italy remains in second place in Group I, six points behind Norway but with a significant gap in goal difference in favor of Norway, meaning the Azzurri will likely need to go through the qualifiers to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
But Di Canio is satisfied with the sense of belonging and behavior shown by the Italian players under the leadership of their new coach.
“On the other hand, I’m really happy with one thing: the enthusiasm of the team,” he said.
“I saw many players, including Bonucci, celebrating enthusiastically. It seemed forced at first, but I really liked it. The national team was missing this sense of belonging, this self-awareness among the young players.”
Italy’s next match will be against Israel in Udine next Tuesday.
The last two matches in the World Cup qualifying group will be against Moldova away from home and at home (San Siro) against Norway in November.