Federico Chiesa’s career has looked in jeopardy of being derailed since his move to Liverpool in 2024.
The Italian arrived as a budget addition at Anfield, but came with the reputation of being a European Championship winner and a formerly prodigious talent.
Since then, Chiesa has become something of a figure of fun. Although the Liverpool fans love him, the 28-year-old has made only one Premier League start.
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Initially, his lack of game time caused him to miss out on a place in the Italy national team. Chiesa was one of the stars of the squad during his days in Serie A, but has not played for them since Euro 2024.
The new season has brought a bigger role within the Liverpool squad, however, and Chiesa has worked his way back into the thinking of new Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso.
But though Gattuso has asked Liverpool’s No. 14 to return and play for him, Chiesa has twice refused. With a World Cup play-off on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether the winger will ever come back. But why exactly is Chiesa refusing to play for his country?
Federico Chiesa in action for Italy during the UEFA Euro 2024 match against Switzerland.
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Federico Chiesa may not be ready for international return
Prior to joining Liverpool, it would have been bizarre to think of an Italy squad without Chiesa. Despite not featuring for more than one year, he still has 52 caps for his country.
Clearly, playing for the Azzurri means a lot to Chiesa. His father Enrico won 17 caps, and he has proudly carried on that tradition and then some.
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Having been playing regularly – if in limited minutes – for Liverpool this season, Gattuso confirmed that he had offered Chiesa a way back for the November internationals.
“I often talk to him,” the former AC Milan midfielder said. “We have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has.
“We know well what we tell each other, and I must respect what the player tells me. I can’t say anything else.”
🚨🇮🇹 Italy coach Gattuso on calling up Chiesa for the World Cup playoffs: “You know this very well. I call Chiesa before every international break”.
“The problem isn’t Gattuso or his coaching staff. It’s his problem. Not ours. You know that very well”. pic.twitter.com/WGBuLc72pU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 20, 2025
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While Gattuso was giving nothing away, his answer made it clear that Chiesa himself had inflicted a self-imposed absence.
The most basic answer is that the forward still does not regard himself as being completely match fit. Chiesa is a player who leaves everything on the pitch, and if he feels he cannot do that for Italy, he would rather stay away.
However, the rebuttal to that is that he genuinely has looked fitter and sharper for Liverpool in the early months of this campaign. Perhaps his body simply needs a rest to return to optimal shape ahead of the World Cup. Or maybe there is something else going on behind the scenes.
What does it mean for Liverpool?
On a simple level, Chiesa not heading off to play for his national team is possibly good news for Liverpool. It means there is one less player to get injured or run down during the international break.
However, in the case of Chiesa, it would arguably benefit everybody if he did get some minutes on the board for Italy.
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It is true that he has been far more involved this season than last for the Reds, but his appearances are still coming in dribs and drabs and are often very brief cameos.
Playing a bigger chunk of minutes could increase Chiesa’s match sharpness even further and quicken the process of getting him back to his best.
On the flip side, Chiesa refusing the Italian call shows his commitment to showcasing his best for Liverpool. He has appeared all in with the Reds since day one, and it is decisions like this which have made him such a hit with supporters.
In the long-term it feels unlikely that Chiesa has a big future with Liverpool, but what his continuous decision to refuse a call for his country proves is that he deserves the chance to make it work with the Reds.