Rino Gattuso explodes in fury over Rangers transfer target as furious Italy boss restrained by his own squad

Italy’s national team manager, Rino Gattuso, lost his composure during a heated moment with Israel striker Dor Turgeman following Italy’s chaotic 5-4 victory in their World Cup qualifier. The dramatic match, only Gattuso’s second at the helm, saw Italy fall behind twice before seemingly securing the win with Giacomo Raspadori’s goal just nine minutes from time.

Despite the late advantage, Italy was pulled back to a 4-4 tie, setting the stage for a tense finale. Sandro Tonali eventually netted the winner deep into stoppage time, sparking jubilant celebrations but also sowing the seeds of confrontation. Immediately after the final whistle, tempers boiled over near the halfway line.

Gattuso initially attempted to defuse the situation, but the atmosphere quickly deteriorated once Turgeman, previously linked with a move to Rangers, intervened. The Israeli striker reportedly told Gattuso to “control your players,” which triggered an explosive reaction from the Italian manager.

In footage captured by DAZN, Gattuso, visibly enraged, had to be restrained by his own players as he pointed at Turgeman and shouted, “Shut the f*** up!” The altercation underscored the animosity that had built up throughout the frenetic encounter.

Israeli players were frustrated by what they perceived as unsportsmanlike conduct from their opponents. Tay Baribo accused the Italians of “cursing at us the whole game,” highlighting the charged atmosphere on the pitch. When questioned about the incident, Israel’s Eli Dasa explained, “An argument broke out, they were very, very emotional. They felt they were not in the game, and we deserved to win, and they tried to provoke a bit. It is part of football, so we moved on.”

The narrow victory preserved Gattuso’s perfect start after Italy’s convincing 5-0 win over Estonia days earlier, though the latest result was far more turbulent. With this win, Italy leapfrogs Israel into second place in their qualifying group, now trailing leaders Norway by three points. The emotionally charged confrontation, however, may linger longer than the result itself.