Reports: Gattuso holds dinner with Italy squad ahead of play-offs – the Milan trio involved

Italy are preparing for a crucial World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland, and Gennaro Gattuso has brought the players together.

As Calciomercato.com report, Gattuso has been unable to organise a training camp in February to prepare for the play-off semi-final on March 26 against Northern Ireland in Bergamo, with the final at home to one of Bosnia and Wales.

As a result, the coach is personally traveling between clubs and cities to meet the Azzurri squad, respecting their commitments with their various clubs, as well as the need for rest.

Gattuso the ‘globetrotter’

Gattuso’s first stop was in the Middle East to meet Mateo Retegui in Saudi Arabia and Marco Verratti in Qatar, then on to London to see the group of Premier League players, including Federico Chiesa, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali and Destiny Udogie.

Last night, Gattuso was in Milan for a dinner with players from Milan, Inter, Juventus, Bologna and Fiorentina. In the coming days, he’ll be in Bergamo, Rome and Naples, while Cagliari players Elia Caprile and Marco Palestra will be joined for dinner after the match against Lecce.

Photos by AC Milan and Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images

Among those present in Milan – as revealed by La Gazzetta dello Sport – were also young players being monitored for the future, such as Davide Bartesaghi and Fabio Miretti. They may not be part of the March playoffs, but they remain on the coach’s radar.

TeleLombardia add that Gattuso was joined by his staff members Leonardo Bonucci and Gianluigi Buffon as well as several players. Matteo Gabbia and Samuele Ricci were also present in addition to Bartesaghi.

A large contingent of Inter players were there, including Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolò Barella, Davide Frattesi and Francesco Pio Esposito. Manuel Locatelli, Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Gatti of Juventus, Moise Kean of Fiorentina and Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna were also there.