Liveblog: Italy vs. Moldova, 2026 World Cup qualifier

“It’s true, we struggled tonight too. However, there are too many components behind this. And we confirmed what we’d seen before,” Spalletti told RAI Sport.

“I maintained this group, but I found them really fatigued at this stage of the season. Perhaps seeking someone in better physical shape might’ve helped, but the fact we have 25 players all a bit like this means the campaign really took it out on everyone.

“One of the biggest problems was playing the very first game, the most difficult of the group in Oslo, right at the end of the season. It’s bad luck with the draw.

“This will be a very different team in much better shape come September, so the timing didn’t help us.”

Do the players also not have to take on some share of the responsibility when performances like the one in Norway were so poor?

“When someone is the coach of the Nazionale, he cannot have alibis, because he chooses the players. If he sees the players are exhausted, he should seek someone else,” added Spalletti.

“I chose these players because I thought they could give us a response. We saw the pressure and physicality weighing on them after the Norway game, so that added to it.”

Now there will be a different coach on the Italy bench when they play the next World Cup qualifiers in September, as Spalletti bows out after under two years.

“We certainly are not leaving my successor a sense of enthusiasm, despite the positive response from the fans. The coach has to make the difference, the players have to make the difference, and unfortunately I did not make the difference,” he smiled sadly.

“We all wanted a good performance. We are the first to know it wasn’t a great game, we wanted to give the coach a better send-off,” Cambiaso told RAI Sport.

“We are professionals, unfortunately these things happen in sport. Spalletti is a great coach, has such passion for the sport, and every time a coach is fired, it hurts the players. We feel really sad.”

It remains an extremely difficult path to World Cup qualification, as Norway are top of Group I with 12 points from four games.

“We’ll give it all we’ve got. The results might be negative, but we really do try to win every game.”

That’ll do. Just about.

Italy 2-0 Moldova: Sacked Spalletti says goodbye with a victory

Another Moldova chance! Stina again, but Coppola to the rescue with a decisive block from seven yards!

Lucca with the header at the other end, but he steers it off target from eight yards!

Donnarumma with an error playing out from the back, but he makes up for it with the save on Stina.

Bastoni now with a knock to the knee, needs treatment.

We are into 6 minutes of added time. Which feels like a lot.

Orsolini gets down the right and pulls back again, this time the goalkeeper is ready for it.

Italy give it away cheaply again, Stina cross deflected for a corner. Donnarumma controls the resulting set play.

Moldova chance, cross glanced by Dros at the near post and Donnarumma is alert.

Frattesi booked for a flailing arm that caught an opponent in the face.

Ranieri is really hobbling very badly indeed, has to be practically carried off to make way for Coppola.

Ranieri is helped off, but hobbling very badly after that knock to the knee.

There was a nasty collision between Ranieri and Baboglu, entirely accidental, but still sore.

Daniel Maldini on, Giacomo Raspadori off for Italy.

And again…. Frattesi on target, but straight at the goalkeeper. This one set up by the Bastoni ball over the top. Should’ve done better, his first touch was poor and then he scuffed the finish.

Frattesi is still trying to score and still not really doing it, this one at least was on target, albeit straight at the goalkeeper from 12 yards.

Lorenzo Lucca on, Mateo Retegui off for Italy.

Moldova introduce Damascan and Dros for Nicolaescu and Ionita.

Nicolaescu is the first player booked for a foul on Bastoni. He slipped really, which made the tackle much worse than he intended.

Raspadori about to score again there, but the Moldovan defence threw themselves in the way at the back post!

Orsolini attempts a spectacular overhead kick, but it doesn’t quite come off! We’ve seen him do it, most recently for Bologna against Inter…

Retegui really shinned that volley, it went straight up in the air…

Caimacov and Postolachi off for Moldova, Perciun and Stina on.

Tonali snapshot parried by the goalkeeper’s gloves.