Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso

Gattuso with Milan in 2008.
Personal information
Full name Gennaro Ivan Gattuso[1]
Date of birth (1978-01-09) 9 January 1978
Place of birth Corigliano Calabro, Italy
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1990–1995 Perugia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1995–1997 Perugia 10 (0)
1997–1998 Rangers 34 (3)
1998–1999 Salernitana 25 (0)
1999–2012 Milan 335 (9)
2012–2013 Sion 27 (1)
Total 431 (13)
National team
1995–1996 Italy U18[2] 14 (3)
1998–2000 Italy U21[2] 21 (1)
2000 Italy Olympic[3] 3 (0)
2000–2010 Italy[4] 73 (1)
Teams managed
2013 Sion (player-manager)
2013 Palermo
2014–2015 OFI Crete
2015– Pisa

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Gennaro Ivan Gattuso,[1] Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [dʒenˈnaro ɡatˈtuzo]; born 9 January 1978) is an Italian football manager and a former player.

As a player, he mainly played as a defensive midfielder. Despite not being blessed with notable technical ability,[5] Gattuso was a strong, energetic, consistent, aggressive, and hard tackling player with an extremely high work rate,[6][7] who also possessed a powerful shot, quick reactions, as well as an excellent positional sense and good anticipation.[8][5] Due to these characteristics, in his prime, he was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He was also renowned for his competitive nature and his leadership qualities, often wearing the captain's armband for Milan following Maldini's retirement.[9][10] During his career at Milan, he has won the Champions League, in 2002–03 and 2006–07, the Coppa Italia in 2002–03, and also the Serie A title in 2003–04 and 2010–11. In addition to these titles, he also won two Italian Supercups, two UEFA Supercups, and a FIFA Club World Cup. His talismanic midfield partnership with Andrea Pirlo played a key role in Italy's World Cup victory in 2006 and Milan's successes both domestically and at European level, in particular under Ancelotti.

Gattuso's managerial career began as player-manager of his final club, Sion of the Swiss Super League, and he also had short spells in charge of Palermo and OFI Crete.

Club career

Early career

Gattuso was born in Corigliano Calabro, Italy. He started his career with Umbrian side Perugia, but transferred in July 1997, at the age of 19, to the Scottish team Rangers.

Walter Smith, who brought Gattuso to Glasgow, left the club in 1998. Smith's successor, Dick Advocaat, did not favour Gattuso and, after being played out-of-position as a right-back, the Italian was sold in October 1998 to then recently promoted Serie A club Salernitana for £4 million. Despite his good performances, it was not enough to prevent the relegation of his side.

Milan

Gattuso was bought by Milan for €8 million from Salernitana.[11] A central or defensive midfielder, his box-to-box, ball-winning style of play, as well as his tactical awareness and versatility, allowed former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti to place midfielder playmaker Andrea Pirlo in a more creative, attacking position, as Gattuso played in a deeper, more defensive role in the midfield. This position allowed Gattuso to support his team defensively in midfield, and he often only moved forward to win or intercept the ball, and play it to the more creative or offensive players on his team, subsequently returning to his more defensive midfield position. His tenacious style of play was characterised by his fierce tackling, pace, stamina, and hard work, a style which has earned him the nickname of Ringhio (Snarl).[8][12] He signed a contract extension in June 2003[13] and in October 2004.[14]

Gattuso in May 2007

He played his 300th game for the club in a goalless Champions League draw against Lille on 26 September 2006, and he extended his current deal with Milan until 2011 on 1 February 2007.[15] On 23 May 2007, Gattuso won the Champions League for the second time in his career when Milan beat Liverpool 2–1 in the final.

On 27 December 2007, Gattuso trained with his former club Rangers to regain fitness during the Serie A winter break whilst his wife was visiting family in Scotland over Christmas.[16] The following December, Gattuso suffered a torn Anterior cruciate ligament early on in the 1–0 league win against Catania. Despite the injury, however, Gattuso played the entire 90 minutes before being diagnosed by the club doctors after the match. He underwent surgery to repair the damage on 19 December 2008 in Antwerp, Belgium. He was expected to miss up to six months of action, but managed to return to the Milan bench on 10 May against Juventus, a month ahead of schedule.

It was confirmed by Milan on 14 December 2009 that Gattuso would remain a Milan player until 30 June 2012, after adding one more year to his current contract.[17]

The 2010–11 season with Milan was one of Gattuso's best seasons of his career, ending a three-year goal drought with his left footed strike outside the box being the only goal scored against Juventus on 5 March 2011.[18] Gattuso later celebrated another goal in a 4–1 victory against Cagliari with a long distance header with the goalkeeper off his line. Gattuso celebrated Milan's 18th Scudetto victory after a scoreless draw against Roma.

Gattuso had been experiencing vision problems in early September 2011, a few days before the season kicked off.[19] On 9 September 2011, Gattuso crashed into teammate Alessandro Nesta whilst playing against Lazio in Milan's opening Serie A game of the 2011–12 season. He was substituted off directly afterwards in the 20th minute and diagnosed with paralysis of the sixth cranial nerve, resulting in diplopia in his left eye,[20] an injury that could have ended his football career. He later revealed that he had seen teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović in four different positions during the opening stages of the match, and was unable to see Nesta, resulting in the pair's clash.[19]

On 11 May 2012, Gattuso confirmed that he would be leaving Milan at the end of the season.[21]

Sion

On 15 June 2012, after being released by Milan, Gattuso joined Swiss club Sion.[22] He had been linked with a deal to join former club Rangers in Scotland, but the deal fell through because of the club's financial difficulties.[22] On 25 February 2013, Gattuso was named as the new manager of Sion after manager Víctor Muñoz was demoted to a scouting role after a 4–0 defeat by Thun in the Swiss Super League.[23]

Controversies

In a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Ajax in September 2003, he was sent off during second-half injury time after slapping Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimović in the face with the back of his hand. His temper has caused him further problems when in December 2005, at the final whistle of Milan's 3–2 defeat of Schalke 04 in the Champions League, Gattuso was seen seeking out and taunting Schalke's midfielder Christian Poulsen[24] as a reaction to Poulsen's fierce marking of Kaká in the first leg. Gattuso insisted, however, that the press exaggerated the significance of the incident.

On 15 February 2011, during Milan's Champions League game against Tottenham Hotspur, Gattuso pushed Tottenham coach Joe Jordan away by the throat during an incident on the sideline. Jordan was seen outside his allowed technical area exchanging words with Gattuso, in relation to the relatively physical game that had been played.[25] After the game, after Gattuso had shaken hands with the Tottenham players, video footage shows him confronting Jordan and head-butted him after another exchange of words, before being restrained by both teammates and opponents. "I lost control. There is no excuse for what I did. I take my responsibilities for that," said the 33-year-old Gattuso, but he also said Jordan provoked him throughout the game but refused to say what his comments were.[25][26] Newspapers, however, reported Joe Jordan had been using racist, offensive calls for much of the game by calling Gattuso a "fucking Italian bastard" from the sidelines.[27] The following day, it was announced that UEFA was looking at additional sanctions or punishment for Gattuso's actions against Jordan the previous day and has been charged with "gross unsporting conduct."[28] Gattuso was then suspended for five Champions League matches – one for yellow card accumulation, the other four for the incident with Jordan.[28] The Tottenham coach also received a touchline ban by UEFA for his involvement in the exchange.[29]

On 2 December 2012, Gattuso, in a game in the Swiss Super League, took the yellow card from referee Nikolaj Hänni's hand and gave it back after gestures.[30][31]

International career

Gattuso playing against Belgium in 2008

Gattuso was capped 73 times for his country and played in the 2000 Summer Olympics, the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, the 2009 Confederations Cup, and the 2010 World Cup.[4]

He was one of the key players in Italy's World Cup-winning team, winning the Man of the Match award in the 2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage match against Ukraine. He and Andrea Pirlo formed a formidable partnership in the heart of midfield. Gattuso achieved a measure of notoriety for his post-match celebrations after Italy won the World Cup, during which he removed his shorts and ran around the pitch in his underwear, until FIFA officials forced him to cover up.

In the Euro 2008, Gattuso played in the matches against Netherlands (0–3 loss) and France (2–0 win) in the group stage, but was suspended for the quarter final against Spain along with Andrea Pirlo, where Italy went on to lose 4–2 in the ensuing penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw. In June 2010, he announced that he would retire from international duty after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,[32] where he participated in the match against Slovakia – his last game for Italy

Managerial career

Sion

Gattuso in his first match as a manager

On 25 February 2013, Gattuso was named as the new manager of Sion after manager Víctor Muñoz was demoted to a scouting role after a 4–0 defeat by Thun in the Swiss Super League.[23] Gattuso became the fifth manager of the club in the 2012–13 season.[23] On 27 February 2013, Gattuso won his first match as a manager, beating Lausanne 2–0 away in a Swiss Cup match.[33] Gattuso was sacked on 13 May 2013.[34]

Palermo

Later in May 2013, he was heavily linked with the managerial post at Palermo, after the Sicilians were relegated to Serie B. On 3 June 2013, Maurizio Zamparini confirmed he had a verbal agreement with Gattuso, subjected to a contract release with then manager Giuseppe Sannino. The appointment was made official later on 19 June, after Gattuso successfully rescinded his contract with Sion.[35] Gattuso named Luigi Riccio as his assistant, with whom he worked at Sion.[35] His experience as rosanero head coach was however short-lived, as he was sacked 25 September 2013 after achieving only two wins and a draw in the first six games of the league season.[36]

OFI Crete

On 5 June 2014, Gattuso was appointed manager of Superleague Greece team OFI Crete.[37]

While managing OFI Crete, in the first few months there were rumours that the players and coaching staff were not getting paid due to the financial situation in Greece. Gattuso lashed out at media saying that he expects 100% all the time from his players regardless if they get paid or not. He then made a bold statement saying that he does not care about the money, but only about the game. Throughout the press conference he controversially threw out curse words and banged on the table.[38]

On 26 October 2014 Gattuso tended his resignation as head coach of OFI Crete, following a 2–3 home loss to Asteras Tripoli F.C., citing the club's financial difficulties as one the main reasons behind his decision.[39] However, on the very next day he changed his mind after having been successfully persuaded by the club supporters and the board to stay.[40] On 30 December 2014, Gattuso officially resigned as OFI Crete manager, due to the club's financial problems.[41]

In January 2015, he applied for the manager's position at Scottish club Hamilton Academical following the departure of Alex Neil.[42]

Pisa

Gattuso was appointed as the manager of Lega Pro side Pisa on 20 August 2015.[43]

Personal life

Gattuso is married to Monica Romano, a Scottish woman of Italian descent, whom he met while playing for Rangers at an exhibition game in Toronto, Canada. The couple dated for a long while before marrying. They have a daughter, Gabriella (born 20 June 2004), and a son, Francesco (born 8 November 2007). Monica is the sister of GMTV's Los Angeles correspondent Carla Romano.

In January 2010, Gattuso opened a fish shop in his home town of Corigliano Calabro.[44]

Media

Gattuso features in EA Sports' FIFA football video game series; he was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 16.[45]

Career statistics

Club

[46][47][48]

Season Club Division League Cup Europe[n 1] Other[n 2] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Other Total
1995–96PerugiaSerie B 2000–– 20
1996–97Serie A 8000–– 80
Scotland League Scottish Cup Europe Lg Cup Total
1997–98RangersPremier Division 293602130 404
1998–99Premier League 50005110 111
Italy Serie A Coppa Italia Europe Other Total
1998–99SalernitanaSerie A 25000–– 250
1999–2000Milan 2211050– 281
2000–01 24020100– 360
2001–02 32050100– 470
2002–03 25030140– 420
2003–04 331207130 452
2004–05 3202011010 460
2005–06 35330110– 493
2006–07 30140130– 471
2007–08 311108030 431
2008–09 1200041– 161
2009–10 2201010– 240
2010–11 3122050– 382
2011–12 60000010 70
Switzerland League Swiss Cup Europe Other Total
2012–13SionSuper League 27150–– 321
Total Perugia 10000——100
Rangers 343407240515
Salernitana 25000——250
Milan 33592609928046811
Sion 27150——321
Career Total 431 13 37 0 106 4 12 0 586 17

International

[4]

Italy national team
Year Apps Goals
2000 61
2001 30
2002 100
2003 40
2004 90
2005 80
2006 100
2007 60
2008 90
2009 50
2010 30
Total 731

International goal

[4]

Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 15 November 2000 Stadio delle Alpi, Turin, Italy  England 1–0 1–0 Friendly

Managerial

As of 10 March 2016
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Sion Switzerland 25 February 2013[23] 13 May 2013[34] 12 3 4 5 10 15 −5 25.00
Palermo Italy 19 June 2013[35] 25 September 2013[36] 8 3 1 4 10 9 +1 37.50
OFI Crete Greece 5 June 2014[37] 30 December 2014[41] 17 5 3 9 11 24 −13 29.41
Pisa Italy 20 August 2015[49] Present 27 15 6 6 38 23 +15 55.56
Total 64 26 14 24 69 71 −2 40.63

Honours

Perugia Youth[50]
Milan[50]
Italy[50]
Individual
Orders
Collar of Merit Sports: Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo: 2006[54]
4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006[55]

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup (1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2008–09)
  2. ↑ Includes Supercoppa Italiana (2003, 2004, 2011), UEFA Super Cup (2003, 2007), Intercontinental Cup (2003) and FIFA Club World Cup (2007 – 2 apps)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 – List of Players" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Gennaro Gattuso". FIGC. Retrieved 9 May 2013
  3. ↑ "Previous Tournaments - FIFA.com". Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Gennaro Gattuso". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  5. 1 2 "L' evoluzione di Gattuso, il muratore del Milan" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. 26 November 2003. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Gattuso, Gennaro" (in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002). Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Palombo, Blasi, Donadel: idee Milan per il centrocampo. Gattuso: "Sì stanno pensando di sostituirmi"" (in Italian). Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Gattuso Io che corro per tutti i Palloni d' oro" [Gattuso I the one who runs for all the Ballon d'Or winners] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Palermo: Panchina a Rino Gattuso" (in Italian). Sport Mediaset. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ancelotti perde Gattuso sei mesi di stop per infortunio" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "La Salernitana cede Gattuso al Milan per 19 miliardi". la Repubblica (in Italian). 15 June 1999. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "Gattuso, cuor di leone". Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Inzaghi staying at San Siro". UEFA.com. 21 July 2003. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  14. ↑ "Gattuso makes Milan commitment". UEFA.com. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "Gattuso prolongs San Siro stay". UEFA.com. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Rino Gattuso back at Ibrox". Daily Mail. 27 December 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Gattuso extends Milan contract". UEFA.com. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Gennaro Gattuso ends three-year drought in Milan win over Juventus". The Guardian. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  19. 1 2 "AC Milan: Gennaro Gattuso's Future Uncertain Due to Double Vision". Bleacher Report. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Gattuso: I'll come back stronger". ESPN Soccernet. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  21. ↑ "Gattuso leaves Milan after 13 years". FIFA.com. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  22. 1 2 "Gattuso signs for FC Sion". ESPN Soccernet. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Gennaro Gattuso named player-coach of Swiss club Sion". BBC Sport. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  24. ↑ "Poulsen: Gattuso opførte sig som et barn" [Poulsen: Gattuso acted like a child] (in Danish). DR. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Tottenham shine as Milan turn the San Siro into the Sin Siro". Daily Mirror. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  26. ↑ "AC Milan 0–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  27. ↑ "Jordan diceva Italian bastard" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  28. 1 2 "Gennaro Gattuso given four-match ban for headbutt". BBC Sport. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  29. ↑ "Tottenham assistant Joe Jordan banned after Gattuso row". BBC Sport. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  30. ↑ "Gattuso rouba cartão amarelo ao árbitro" (in Portuguese). Espbr.com. 4 December 2012.
  31. ↑ "Video: Gattuso gives opponent a yellow card". RossoneriBlog.com. 3 December 2012.
  32. ↑ "Gattuso to retire from national team". ESPN Soccernet. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  33. ↑ "Gattuso wins player-manager debut". Football Italia.net. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  34. 1 2 "Gennaro Gattuso sacked as FC Sion manager". BBC. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  35. 1 2 3 "È GATTUSO IL NUOVO ALLENATORE, VENERDÌ LA PRESENTAZIONE" [GATTUSO THE NEW MANAGER, PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY] (in Italian). U.S. Città di Palermo. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  36. 1 2 "Gennaro Gattuso fired by Palermo". ESPN FC. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  37. 1 2 Wood, Graham (5 June 2014). "World Cup winner Gattuso appointed OFI Crete coach". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  38. ↑ "Gennaro Gattuso loses the plot during press conference". World Soccer. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  39. ↑ "Gattuso quits OFI Crete". Football Italia. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  40. ↑ "Gattuso to stay as coach of OFI Crete in U-turn". Reuters UK. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  41. 1 2 "Gattuso si dimette, l’ex milanista lascia la guida dell’Ofi Creta". La Stampa (in Italian). 30 December 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  42. ↑ Sutherland, Jonathan (15 January 2015). "Gennaro Gattuso applies for Hamilton manager's post". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  43. ↑ Reuters (21 August 2015). "AC Milan legend Gennaro Gattuso named manager of Italian third division side Pisa". MailOnline. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  44. ↑ Masiello, Vince (12 January 2010). "Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso opens up fish store". Goal.com. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  45. ↑ "FIFA 16 Player Ratings - New Legends". EA Sports. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  46. ↑ Gattuso's career stats. Football Database.eu. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  47. ↑ Gattuso's Rangers stats. Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  48. ↑ "Matches in European Cups". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  49. ↑
  50. 1 2 3 "G. Gattuso". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  51. ↑ "France, Italy dominate World Cup all-star squad". CBC. 7 July 2006. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  52. ↑ "Gattuso a Cinisello Balsamo per ritirare il Premio Scirea 2012" (in Italian). Canale Milan. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  53. ↑ "FIFPro World XI: The Players". FIFPro. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  54. ↑ "Coni: Consegnati i Collari d’oro e diplomi d’onore ai campionissimi". Coni.it. 23 February 2014.
  55. ↑ "ONORIFICENZE - 2006". quirinale.it (in Italian). 12 December 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2015.

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