Gennaro Gattuso was described today as a “symbol of Italian football” after being named the new coach of Azzurri.
Gattuso succeeds Luciano Spalletti, who was actually dismissed after 3-0 defeat against Norway on June 6, but stayed to supervise the 2-0 victory against Moldova on Monday.
The former Italian international won 73 caps for his country and was renowned as a hard midfielder.
Gennaro Gattuso is the new head coach of the first team 🇮🇹
Welcome, Rino 👊#Azzurri #Vivozzurro pic.twitter.com/h6oqzwjcca– Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@azzurri_en) June 15, 2025
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian Football Association (FIGC), said: “Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football, the shirt is like her second skin.
“His motivations, his professionalism and his experience will be fundamental to meet the next challenges of the national team. He knows the importance of our objectives and I thank him for his preparation and his dedication to accept this challenge. He shares the Figc project for the development of our football, in which the Azzurri shirt is a central part. ”
Gattuso second choice after the Ranieri Snub
The Figc turned to Gattuso after failing to appoint Claudio Ranieri, who rather chose to stay in the role of main advisor at Roma.
The 47-year-old man had a wonderful player career, but did not find it easy to reproduce this success as a head coach.
He started in Switzerland Sion but did not last long, starting a model that continued in Palermo, OFE CRETE and PISE.
Gattuso returned to AC Milan, where he played as a player, to train his under 19s, but was promoted to first team coach after the dismissal of Vincenzo Montella in November 2017.
Napoli Trophy
The sixth and fifth places finishes saw him dismissed in May 2019 and six months later, he was appointed Napoli Boss. It was in Naples that he claimed the silverware of his management career – the COPPA Italia 2020 – but his 18 -month mandate ended in May 2021.
An abandoned spell in Fiorentina preceded the diapast stays both in Valence and Marseille, leading him to Hajduk Split, where he resigned after a season in charge.
His CV seems to suggest that it is a risk by FIGC just a year from the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The qualifications have taken a mixed start and their next two games – against Estonia and Italy – already promise to group I.
