Italy fires Spalletti amid prospect it could fail to qualify for 3rd straight World Cup

ROME (AP) — The fear that four-time champion Italy will fail to qualify for a third straight World Cup has cost coach Luciano Spalletti his job.

Spalletti announced Sunday that he is being fired and will leave after Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Moldova.

The move comes two days after Italy lost 3-0 at Norway in its opening qualifier.

“Last night I had a conversation with the president (Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina) and he told me that I would be fired,” Spalletti said in a pre-match news conference at Italy’s training center. “I didn’t have any intention on (leaving) and I would have preferred to stay on. But it’s a sacking and I realize that.”

Claudio Ranieri, who just concluded a successful season at Roma but had said he was retiring from coaching, is reportedly the federation’s top choice to replace Spalletti.

But the federation did not immediately name a replacement — and after the Moldova game, Italy doesn’t play again until September.

Spalletti was hired in August 2023 when Roberto Mancini unexpectedly left to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team. Spalletti was given a three-year contract through the 2026 World Cup.

Spalletti’s first major tournament ended with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the round of 16 of last year’s European Championship.

Then Italy was eliminated from the Nations League quarterfinals after conceding an embarrassing goal to Germany earlier this year — which meant that the Azzurri entered a five-team World Cup qualifying group featuring Erling Haaland’s Norway instead of a four-team group in which the highest-ranked nation is Slovakia.

Winning the group is the only way to ensure direct qualification to next year’s tournament in North America. The second-placed team goes into the playoffs, the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

Having started qualifying late, Italy has zero points and trails group leader Norway by nine points.

What’s more, key defender Francesco Acerbi — the center back who was supposed to mark Haaland — turned down the callup for the Norway and Moldova matches.

“I’ve always taken on this job as a service to the nation and I will do everything I can to help the future of the national team,” Spalletti said. “I’ll come to a contract resolution after tomorrow night. … I had all the support possible concerning the choices I wanted to make. But the results didn’t come.”

Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma reacts after a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Norway, Friday, June 6, 2025, at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Italy's soccer coach Luciano Spalletti attends a press conference at Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Thursday June 5, 2025, a day ahead of the World Cup qualification match against Norway. (Lise Åserud/NTB via AP)

Norway's manager Ståle Solbakken, right, and Italy's national Luciano Spalletti greet each othe rafter a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Italy, Friday, June 6, 2025, at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Italy's coach Luciano Spalletti on the touchline during the qualifying World Cup soccer match between Norway and Italy at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Friday June 6, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB via AP)

HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--

FPT, through its global IT services subsidiary FPT Software, has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the first global standard for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Management Systems. With this milestone, FPT became the first company in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia to earn this recognition, underscoring its commitment to responsible AI development and deployment with consideration for fairness and impartiality, privacy and security, safety, quality and robustness, governance, transparency and explainability.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112494011/en/

The certification was issued by the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company SGS and qualified by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) - a leading U.S. accreditation body with global recognition. ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving AI management systems, allowing organizations to effectively manage risks and opportunities associated with AI, balancing innovation with compliance.

Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 reflects FPT’s capability in AI governance, encompassing ethics, risk management, transparency, compliance, and ensuring alignment with both business goals and societal values. It also strengthens FPT’s position as a trusted technology partner for global organizations, especially those in highly regulated industries such as banking and financial services, automotive, healthcare, energy, and the public sector. The milestone further solidifies FPT’s position as an AI-first company, strengthening its foundation for scaling AI responsibly while helping clients navigate evolving regulatory, ethical, and operational challenges associated with AI adoption.

“As an AI-first company, we pledge to prioritize safety, ethics and accountability at every stage of our AI lifecycle. By continuously governing AI development and implementation processes, we provide our clients and partners with the assurance that our solutions are built with responsibility, transparency and adhere to international excellence,” said Dao Duy Cuong, FPT Software EVP and Chief Digital & Technology Officer, FPT Corporation.

FPT actively promotes responsible AI development as a founding member of the AI Alliance led by IBM and Meta, and the Vietnam Ethical AI Committee. The company is committed to embedding rigorous AI governance across its global operations and solution portfolio, including its flagship AI platform FleziPT, which boosts productivity by 30%, accelerates development by 60% and reduces 50% in rework. The company also maintains co-creation partnerships with global leaders like AWS, Microsoft, SAP, and NVIDIA to deliver tailored solutions for industry-specific challenges. Supporting these efforts is a workforce of over 25,000 AI-augmented, globally certified engineers, and world-class infrastructure including cutting-edge AI Factories in Vietnam and Japan, which have been ranked among the world’s Top 40 fastest supercomputers. Expanding its AI footprint, FPT is developing a new Research Center in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, which is expected to become a critical component of its global AI development network, supporting high-quality talent cultivation for both the local community and the nation.

About FPT

FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam, operating in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. As an AI-first company, FPT is committed to elevating Vietnam’s position on the global tech map and delivering world-class AI-enabled solutions for global enterprises. FPT focuses on three critical transformations: Digital Transformation, Intelligence Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com.

FPT received ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification during the certification award ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam