ZENICA, Bosnia – Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso dismissed concerns over pitch conditions and the hostile atmosphere ahead of their World Cup playoff final in Bosnia, saying he had never conceded a goal to a fan.

Gattuso carries the weight of Italian football as his team aims to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 2014. After defeating Northern Ireland at home in the semi-final, Italy will face Bosnia in Zenica on Tuesday.

Heavy snow and rain in Bosnia forced Italy to adjust their plans, with the team training in Florence on Monday before traveling to Zenica.

"It's an excuse. If the pitch is bad, it's bad for both teams, but the match still has to be played," Gattuso told reporters.

"If we start thinking about the pitch, the stands… no, that's weak. I've seen the pitch, and it's fine. Honestly, even if it were bad, there’s little we could do.

"The respect we have for Bosnia is enormous, for what they show on the pitch. As for the fans, they don't score goals; that's never happened to me."

Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti early in the qualification campaign after a defeat to Norway had already compromised Italy's ambitions.

Focus on Strength Over Style

Despite a less-than-perfect display against Northern Ireland, Gattuso has seen significant improvement since taking charge.

"Tactically, the other night we got it wrong," he said.

"Seven months ago, we were not this team. We suffered against opponents, they reached our goal easily, they created chances. At the beginning, we conceded ridiculous goals, we were fragile, and we struggled to hold our shape.

"Maybe we didn't play ultra-offensive football and maybe we were less brilliant, but right now I prefer a team that is solid and suffers less, even if it means being less pretty."

Italy last won the World Cup in 2006, and Gattuso, who played in that team, wants to instill the same spirit in his current squad.

"We will go out there with desire and aggression. That’s the most important part of our footballing history," he said.

"We became champions not because we were the strongest, but because of our competitive edge and our ability to suffer.

"People said there was no pride in this team, that nobody cared, but I see it every day. I sincerely hope, not for myself, but for these lads, that we reach this objective. I'm proud of them, and I'm happy with them, even if things go badly. I hope they don’t."

When asked about potential setbacks, Gattuso added:

"This isn’t the right moment to talk about it. It would be a disappointment, a heavy blow. I would have to take responsibility because I am the coach, but we’ll talk about that afterwards.

"There are people whose job it is to decide what will happen. My thoughts, I keep to myself."

-Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters