Italy Appoints Gattuso as Manager Following Spalletti
Former AC Milan and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed Italy's national team coach, the Italian football federation, FIGC, said on Sunday. Gattuso is set to replace Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked last week following a heavy defeat by Norway in a World Cup qualifier. Spalletti departed after a stint of under two years, overseeing his final match, a 2-0 victory against Moldova, just a day after revealing he had been dismissed following Italy's 3-0 defeat by Norway in their opening World Cup qualifier. Gattuso, the former midfielder, will be formally introduced as coach on Thursday at Rome's Parco dei Principi Hotel. “Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football - the blue jersey is like a second skin for him. His motivations, his professionalism, and his experience will be fundamental to best face the upcoming commitments of the National Team,” FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said in a statement.
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, FCs around the world are well aware that they must begin upping their game. Along with the three suggested matches to look out for during the World Cup, AC Milan is hopeful that Gattuso will make their team among those highlights as well. Gattuso, who won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020, is tasked with getting four-time World Champions Italy to next year's World Cup after they missed out on the last two editions of the tournament. A FIGC source told Reuters the 47-year-old has been given a one-year contract, including the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Gattuso made 73 appearances for Italy and was a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad. He recently left Croatian club Hajduk Split by mutual consent, after a third-placed finish in the country's top flight.
FIGC member Gianluigi Buffon had discussed Gattuso's appointment on Saturday. Veteran Italian coach Claudio Ranieri was the FIGC's top candidate for the role, but the 73-year-old declined the offer, choosing instead to concentrate on his position as senior advisor at AS Roma. Over a 12-year coaching journey, Gattuso has led nine clubs, including Milan, Spanish side Valencia, and a brief stint at Ligue 1's Olympique de Marseille. Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri, who previously managed Chelsea, Napoli, and Juventus, backed Gattuso and said there was a disconnect between the quality of Italian clubs and the national team, which won Euro 2020 but only reached the round of 16 in last year's European Championship. "I am very fond of Gattuso and I want to tell him this, let Gattuso be Gattuso, even as the Italy coach, without giving in to any kind of compromise on his style of football," the 66-year-old told Tutto Mercato Web.
