Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso called on FIFA to change the qualification process for the World Cup after the four-time world champions were left needing a 9-0 victory against Norway on Sunday to avoid a place in the European playoffs for the third successive qualifying campaign.
The Azzurri claimed a sixth win in seven Group I games with a 2-0 victory against Moldova in Chisinau on Thursday, but with group leaders Norway sitting on top with seven straight wins -- including a 3-0 victory against the Italians -- their vastly superior goal difference means Italy must beat Stale Solbakken's side by nine clear goals in Milan to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Italy, ninth in the FIFA World Rankings, missed out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after playoff defeats against Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively.
Europe is awarded 16 qualification places by FIFA for the 48 team World Cup, but with the playoffs looming once again, Gattuso said that changes are needed to ensure fairness in the process.
"In my day, the best [group] runners-up went straight to the World Cup, now the rules have changed," Gattuso said. "To change the rules, you need to tell those who organize these tournaments.
"Italy's record of six wins [in qualification]? You'd have to ask the people who make the groups and the rules.
"In 1990 and 1994, there were two African [three qualified in 1994] teams, now there are nine. It's not a controversy, but there are difficulties, and we know it well.
"If we look at South America, where six out of 10 teams go directly to the World Cup and the seventh heads into a play-off with a team from Oceania, that does give you regrets and a certain sadness.
"That is the disappointment. The system needs to change in Europe."
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Italy's players were subjected to boos and negative chants from 400 travelling supporters in Moldova after taking 88 minutes to open the scoring against the group minnows.
And Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti as coach in June following the losing start to the campaign against Norway, hit back at the fans for their treatment of his players.
"This is not the time to tell the players to go get a job," he said. "Honestly, I don't accept the fans' jeering.
"Now we all need to stay united. Deep down, I even thought they could lose this match considering how much we've changed [due to injuries], but those who came on did well."