Italy Camp Cancelled: Buffon Says 'Rely on Our Strength'

Italy's national football team will not be able to hold a training camp in February, a situation Gianluigi Buffon, the delegation chief, has publicly addressed. Despite coach Gennaro Gattuso's hopes for an extended period together in Coverciano, the congested fixture list and demands from television networks made arranging the camp impossible.

Buffon indicated that the team "didn't expect anything different" and stressed the necessity of "relying on our own strength." This missed opportunity comes less than a month before Italy's World Cup play-off semi-final match against Northern Ireland.

The Azzurri last played a competitive match on November 16, 2025. The squad is scheduled to reconvene on March 22, 2026, to begin their preparations for the vital World Cup qualifier, which is set to take place on March 26, 2026.