Italy’s World Cup play-off semi-final with Northern Ireland has caused concern for Gennaro Gattuso.
For four months, Italy has been aware of what stands between them and a first World Cup since 2014.
Northern Ireland await in the play-off semi-final, and the winners will face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
For the four-time winners it seems almost unthinkable they would fall short.
Yet the same was said four years ago against North Macedonia, and again against Sweden before that.
For Northern Ireland and Michael O’Neill, it’s an opportunity to achieve something special as they chase a first World Cup in 40 years.
Gattuso’s Sleepless Nights Ahead of Northern Ireland Clash
As a player, Gattuso did not sleep before big games.
It’s similar as a manager but he now has the aid of sleeping pills from his doctor.
Otherwise, he says, “at 4.30 or 5am I wake up and I’m wide-eyed like a bat”.
Gattuso is carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. It’s a big responsibility.
The former AC Milan midfielder stepped into the role to replace Luciano Spalletti in June, and has won five of his six matches.
“I’ve been coaching for a number of years now, but certainly this game is the most important fixture of my coaching career so far,” said Gattuso.
“I’m prepared and, believe me, I’m not thinking about things going badly, I’m thinking positively.
“I want to think big, and we certainly will compete and we’ll see how things come out.”
O’Neill’s Perspective on Managing Northern Ireland
O’Neill senses ‘big opportunity’ against Italy.
‘Northern Ireland have nothing to fear but everything to gain’.
Will ‘risky’ Gattuso lead Italy back to World Cup?
Northern Ireland deserve Italy’s respect, according to Buffon.
He has admiration from O’Neill, who in 2012 was tasked with a similar job of trying to lift a Northern Ireland side at a low point.
Four years later they qualified for the Euros.
“The pressure of managing Italy is a lot different from the pressure of managing Northern Ireland,” O’Neill said.
“I have admiration for him coming in and taking the job at the time that he did, after the previous manager leaving after two games and then having to try to reverse a poor result in the first game for Italy away in Norway.
“I have great admiration for what he did as a player and, obviously, the job he’s done as a coach as well.”
Buffon’s Trust in Gattuso
Gianluigi Buffon has put his trust in his World Cup-winning team-mate Gennaro Gattuso.
Throughout Gattuso’s press conference, Gianluigi Buffon sat quietly at the side of the room and watched his World Cup-winning team-mate speak.
Now Italy’s technical director, Buffon played a key role in appointing Gattuso to replace Spalletti in June, and he is also fully aware of the pressure that is on the shoulders of the Italians.
In contrast, by the time O’Neill arrived for his press conference, a storm had rolled into Bergamo and the blistering sunshine, which the thousands of travel