The Italy national team head coach Gennaro Gattuso, announced at a pre-match press conference on Monday that Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa had declined a national team call-up because he wanted to prioritize helping his club returns to consistency.

Gattuso stated at the press conference that he had been in contact with Chiesa almost weekly, offering him as much advice and assistance as he can. However, in their most recent conversation, Chiesa clearly expressed that he felt he was not yet 100% ready to help his teams maintain its winning form and therefore requested not to be called up to the national team.

Gattuso added that he greatly respects Chiesa's professionalism and would not blame him for his decision, believing that everyone has moments when " they have difficult problems that must be addressed first."

Gattuso stated, "I communicate with him regularly. We must respect each other's decisions and understand that everyone may encounter some urgent and difficult issues every day. We are very clear about the content of our communications, and I must respect what the player tells me, so I have nothing else to say."

When asked if refusing the call-up was the player's own decision, the former AC Milan midfielder responded, "Yes, this is the fourth or fifth time I've explained this."

It's worth mentioning that, as Gattuso mentioned, this is already not the first time Chiesa has recently refused a call-up to the national team, citing a desire to prioritize helping Liverpool.

Last month, Chiesa also requested not to be called up to the Italy national team for the same reason.

After a season plagued by injuries and limited playing time, Chiesa, having fully recovered this season, has often made substitute appearances for the Reds, but he and Hungary international attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai have been the only two players in Liverpool's recent losing streak who performed well.

Italy will continue their campaign this week in the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

They will face Moldova and a Norway side, led by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, in a race to secure their first-ever World Cup appearance since 2014.

About Federico Chiesa

The 27-year-old Federico Chiesa was born on October 25, 1997, in Genoa, Italy. Standing at 1.75 meters tall, he primarily plays as a left winger, but can also play as a right winger, center forward, or attacking midfielder. His father, Enrico, is a former Fiorentina Italy international legendary striker; and his younger brother, Lorenzo, is also a professional footballer, having previously played for Sampdoria but is currently a free agent.

Chiesa previously played for Fiorentina and Juventus, winning the Coppa Italia twice and the Supercoppa Italiana once with the latter.

In August 2024, Chiesa joined Liverpool for €13 million.

Since becoming a member of the Reds, Chiesa has made 26 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 4 goals and providing 5 assists, where he has won the Premier League title once, as well as reaching the Carabao Cup final and the Champions League Round of 16s with the club.