Gennaro Gattuso says he agreed to send Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa home from the Italy squad for the sake of their long-term relationship.
Chiesa, who has previously turned down a handful of call-ups from Gattuso during his time as a Liverpool player, was set for his first international outing since 2024 during the March break after being restored to the Italy set-up.
However, the former Juventus star, who played the final 13 minutes of the Reds' 2-1 defeat at Brighton on Saturday, was forced to withdraw from the Azzurri squad, with the decision being confirmed by the Italian FA on Monday.
Gattuso hinted that illness was the reason for Chiesa's departure from the camp. The 28-year-old missed Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Istanbul in similar circumstances earlier this month.
And the Italy coach has admitted pushing Chiesa to remain with the squad could have harmed their long-term working relationship, saying: “Not everyone is the same.
"Footballers’ minds aren’t all alike. When I hear he has problems, that he’s hesitant, I have to make a decision.
“We decided together because he didn’t feel up to it; he went back home, and I accepted it. I can try to convince him for a while, but I always think that in life, beyond a match, relationships matter.
“I don’t have great medical expertise, but if someone isn’t feeling well, you shouldn’t insist.
“If he ends up damaging his knee, how is that player supposed to look at me?
“So I don’t push it - I make him understand. When someone feels they’re not at 100%, it’s right that they go home.”
