Milan
Which team was coached by Gennaro Gattuso from Jul 2017 to May 2019?
Gennaro Gattuso Gennaro Ivan Gattuso ( ; born 9 January 1978 ) is an Italian former professional footballer and current manager . He was most recently the manager of Serie A club Napoli , and will be the new head coach of Fiorentina for the 2021–22 season . As a player , he mainly played in the centre as a defensive midfielder , although he was also capable of playing on the wing . He initially played for Perugia , Salernitana , and Rangers , though he is mostly remembered for his time with Milan in Serie A , where he 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 won two Italian Supercups , two UEFA Supercups , and a FIFA Club World Cup . At international level , he represented the Italy national football team at the 2000 Summer Olympics , three FIFA World Cups , two UEFA European Championships , and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup . Gattusos talismanic midfield partnership with playmaker Andrea Pirlo , both at club and international level , played a key role in Italys World Cup victory in 2006 , as well as Milans domestic , European , and international successes during the mid-2000s . Despite not being blessed with notable technical skills , Gattusos pace , strength , and work-rate complemented and supported Pirlos composed , creative playing style , while his energy , aggression , and hard-tackling style of play enabled him to make a name for himself as one of the best players in the world in his position . In addition to his ball-winning abilities , Gattuso was renowned for his competitive nature and leadership qualities throughout his career , often wearing the captains armband for Milan following Paolo Maldinis retirement . Gattusos 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 . In June 2016 , he led Pisa to Serie B promotion . He later coached both the youth side and the first team of his former club Milan between 2017 and 2019 , before being appointed as manager of Napoli later that year , with whom he won his first title as a coach , the 2019–20 Coppa Italia . 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 . Smiths 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 . Milan . Gattuso was bought by Milan for €8 million from Salernitana in the summer of 1999 . He made his debut with the club on 15 September 1999 , in a 0–0 away draw with Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League ; he soon broke into the starting line-up that season , also playing his first Milan-derby match on 24 October 1999 , in which he stood out and immediately endeared himself with the Milan fans for the maturity and tenacity he demonstrated when facing Inter striker Ronaldo , who was widely regarded as the best player in the world at the time . During his time at the club , Gattusos work-rate and versatility as a ball-winner later allowed Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti to place midfield playmaker Andrea Pirlo alongside him in a more creative , attacking position , while Gattuso supported him in a deeper role , as a defensive midfielder ; this midfield partnership was pivotal to Milans domestic and international successes under Ancelotti , which included the Coppa Italia , the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2003 , as well as the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2004 . Gattuso signed a contract extension with Milan in June 2003 and in October 2004 . During this period , Gattuso also reached the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final with Milan , only to be defeated by Liverpool on penalties , after initially leading 3–0 at half-time . Gattuso 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 . 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 . After winning the FIFA Club World Cup , 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 . 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 . On 22 August 2009 , he made his 400th appearance with Milan in the opening match of the 2009–10 Serie A season against Siena , wearing the captains armband . 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 . The 2010–11 season with Milan was one of Gattusos best seasons of his career , and saw him end a three-year goal drought with a left-footed strike from outside the box , which proved to be the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory over Juventus on 5 March 2011 . Gattuso later celebrated another goal in a 4–1 victory against Cagliari with a long-distance header that beat the goalkeeper , who was off his line . Gattuso celebrated Milans 18th Scudetto victory after a scoreless draw against Roma on 7 May . Gattuso had been experiencing vision problems in early September 2011 , a few days before the season kicked off . On 9 September 2011 , Gattuso crashed into teammate Alessandro Nesta whilst playing against Lazio in Milans opening Serie A game of the 2011–12 season . He was substituted off directly afterward in the 20th minute and diagnosed with a left sixth cranial nerve palsy , resulting in double vision , 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 pairs clash . On 11 May 2012 , Gattuso confirmed that he would not renew his contract with the club which was due to expire on 30 June and that he would be leaving Milan at the end of the season . Sion . On 15 June 2012 , after being released by Milan , Gattuso joined Swiss club Sion . He had been linked with a deal to join former club Rangers in Scotland , but the deal fell through because of the clubs financial difficulties . 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 . 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 caused him further problems when in December 2005 , at the final whistle of Milans 3–2 defeat of Schalke 04 in the Champions League , Gattuso was seen seeking out and taunting Schalkes midfielder Christian Poulsen as a reaction to Poulsens 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 Milans 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 . After the game , after Gattuso had shaken hands with the Tottenham players , video footage showed him confronting Jordan and head-butting 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 . 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 . The following day , it was announced that UEFA was looking at additional sanctions or punishment for Gattusos actions against Jordan the previous day and had been charged with gross unsporting conduct . Gattuso was then suspended for five Champions League matches – one for yellow card accumulation , the other four for the incident with Jordan . The Tottenham coach also received a touchline ban by UEFA for his involvement in the exchange . On 2 December 2012 , Gattuso , in a game in the Swiss Super League , took the yellow card from referee Nikolaj Hännis hand and gave it back after gestures . International career . Gattuso represented the Italy under-18 side at the 1995 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championships , where Italy finished in second place to Spain following a 4–1 final defeat ; he also represented the Italy under-21 side at the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship , where Italy went on to win the tournament with a 2–1 victory over the Czech Republic in the final . Gattuso was capped 73 times for his country at senior level , 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 . He made his senior international debut under Dino Zoff , at the age of 22 , in a 1–0 friendly home victory over Sweden , on 23 February 2000 . He made his first start for Italy later that year , under Giovanni Trapattoni , on 15 November , scoring the only goal in a 1–0 friendly home victory over England with a powerful strike from outside the area ; this was his first and only goal for Italy . Gattuso made two substitute appearances at the 2002 World Cup , first in his nations 2–0 opening group win against Ecuador , and secondly in Italys controversial 2–1 extra-time defeat to co-hosts South Korea in the round of 16 of the competition . He also later appeared in Italys two opening group matches at Euro 2004 , against Denmark ( 0–0 ) and Sweden ( 1–1 ) , but missed out on Italys final match against Bulgaria ( 2–1 ) due to a suspension following an accumulation of two yellow cards in the first two matches of the competition ; despite a 2–1 win , Italy were eliminated from the tournament in the first round on direct encounters , following a three-way five-point tie with Denmark and Sweden . Gattuso was named to Italys 23-man squad for the 2006 World Cup , and was one of the key players in Italys eventual victory in the tournament under manager Marcello Lippi ; he won the Man of the Match award for his performance in his nations 3–0 victory in the quarter-finals of the tournament , against Ukraine . He and Andrea Pirlo formed a formidable partnership in the heart of midfield , with Gattuso supporting Pirlos creative playmaking duties with his work-rate and ability to break down possession . While Pirlo finished as one of the top assist providers in the tournament , Gattuso won more challenges than any other player in the tournament ( 47 – 11 more than Patrick Vieira in second place ) and completed 351 passes out of the 392 he attempted ; he also provided an assist during the tournament , helping to set up Filippo Inzaghis goal in a 2–0 win over the Czech Republic in Italys final group match of the tournament on 22 June . Gattuso achieved a measure of notoriety for his post-match celebrations after Italy won the World Cup final on penalties against France on 9 July , during which he removed his shorts and ran around the pitch in his underpants , until FIFA officials forced him to cover up . He was named to the tournaments All Star Team for his performances . Under Roberto Donadoni at Euro 2008 , Gattuso played in the matches against Netherlands ( a 0–3 loss ) and France ( a 2–0 win ) in the group stage , but was suspended for the quarter-final match against eventual champions Spain , along with Andrea Pirlo ; in their absence , Italy went on to lose 4–2 in the ensuing penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw following extra-time . On 19 November 2008 , he made his first appearance as Italys captain , taking the armband following Fabio Cannavaros substitution in the 61st minute of a friendly against Greece . Despite having only recently recovered from a serious knee injury , Lippi included Gattuso in Italys squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup , where they suffered a first round elimination . In June 2010 , he announced that he would retire from international duty after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa , where he participated in his nations final group match against Slovakia – his last game for the national side , as Italy suffered a first round elimination following a 3–2 defeat . Style of play . Throughout his career , Gattuso mainly played as a central or defensive midfielder , although he was even deployed on the right flank on occasion , either as a full back , wing-back , or as a winger , due to his versatility ; he was also capable of playing as a central defender . Despite not being particularly skilful from a technical standpoint ( although he was able to improve in this area with time under the tutelage of Mauro Tassotti ) , or particularly tall , Gattuso was a physically strong , consistent , aggressive , and hard-tackling midfielder , with an extremely high work rate ; he also possessed a powerful shot , and quick reactions , as well as an excellent positional sense and good anticipation , which enabled him to excel in this position ; in his prime , he was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world . His energetic and combative box-to-box style of play , as well as his pace , tactical awareness and abilities as a ball-winner , allowed him to form a successful midfield partnership with playmaker Andrea Pirlo throughout his career , both at club and international level . Gattusos deeper position on the pitch allowed him to support Pirlo and his other teammates defensively by breaking up the oppositions attacks ; he often only advanced in order to intercept the ball and play it to one of his more creative or offensive teammates after winning back possession , subsequently returning to his more defensive midfield role . His tenacity on the pitch , exemplified by his fierce challenges and stamina , earned him the nickname Ringhio ( Snarl ) . In addition to his footballing abilities , he also stood out for his competitive spirit , determination , and leadership . Managerial career . Sion . Gattuso started his coaching career in 2011 by attending a course for UEFA A Licence , when he still played for A.C . Milan . He passed the exam in July . 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 . Gattuso became the fifth manager of the club in the 2012–13 season . On 27 February 2013 , Gattuso won his first match as a manager , beating Lausanne 2–0 away in a Swiss Cup match . Gattuso was sacked on 13 May 2013 . 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 . Gattuso named Luigi Riccio as his assistant , with whom he worked at Sion . 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 . During 2013–14 season , he also attended a course for UEFA Pro Licence , after which he passed the exam in September 2014 . OFI Crete . On 5 June 2014 , Gattuso was appointed manager of Superleague Greece team OFI Crete . 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 poor financial situation of the club . 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 . On 26 October 2014 Gattuso tended his resignation as head coach of OFI Crete , following a 2–3 home loss to Asteras Tripolis , citing the clubs financial difficulties as one of the main reasons behind his decision . However , on the very next day he changed his mind after having been successfully persuaded by the club supporters and the board to stay . On 30 December 2014 , Gattuso officially resigned as OFI Crete manager , due to the clubs financial problems . In January 2015 , he applied for the managers position at Scottish club Hamilton Academical following the departure of Alex Neil . Pisa . Gattuso was appointed as the manager of the then Lega Pro side Pisa on 20 August 2015 . On 12 June 2016 , he led Pisa to Serie B promotion after beating out Foggia 5–3 on aggregate in the Lega Pro promotion play-off final . On 31 July however , he suddenly left Pisa , citing serious , constant and unacceptable problems at the club being the reason for his departure . One month after leaving the club , he re-joined Pisa as the teams head coach . However , in the following season , Pisa finishes in last place with the second best defense , but the worst attack in the league , and Gattuso resigns again , this time definitely . Milan ( youth ) . In May 2017 Gattuso was appointed as the coach of A.C . Milan Primavera , the under-19 team of the club . He was the third former player who won 2007 UEFA Champions League , to coach the Primavera team , after Filippo Inzaghi ( 2013–14 ) and Cristian Brocchi ( 2014–2016 ) . They also coached the first team , after the sacking of Clarence Seedorf ( also a former Milan player and 2007 Champions League winner ) and Siniša Mihajlović respectively . As of round 10 of the Campionato Nazionale Primavera ( which ended on 26 November ) , the Milan Primavera side was ranked third ( out of 16 teams ) in the leagues first division . Milan . On 27 November 2017 , Vincenzo Montella was sacked by A.C . Milan . Subsequently , they appointed Gattuso as the head coach of the first team , who left the position as the coach of the under-19s . He recorded his first win with a 2–1 home victory against Bologna in Serie A on 10 December . Milan finished the season in 6th place . In April 2018 , Gattusos contract was extended to 2021 . In his first full season in charge , Milan missed out on Champions League by 1 point , finishing 5th on 68 points . On 28 May 2019 , he departed Milan by mutual consent . Napoli . On 11 December 2019 , Gattuso was appointed head coach of Napoli following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti the previous day . On 13 June 2020 , Napoli achieved a 1–1 home draw with Inter in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals , which allowed them to progress to the 2020 Coppa Italia Final following a 2–1 aggregate victory ; Gattuso dedicated the achievement to his sister , who had recently died . On 17 June , Napoli went on to win the final against Juventus 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw . On 23 May 2021 , the final day of the league , Gattuso was unable to secure a fourth place finish for Napoli after a 1–1 home draw with Verona , finishing in fifth one point below Juventus which won 4–1 over Bologna , granting Juventus qualification to the following seasons Champions League instead ; Gattuso was sacked from his managerial position the same day . Fiorentina . On 25 May 2021 , Fiorentina announced the appointment of Gattuso as their new head coach , effective from 1 July 2021 . Personal life . Gattuso is married to Monica Romano , a Scottish woman of Italian descent . Her father Mario was a millionaire restaurateur who died in 2011 , and her sister is television presenter Carla Romano . In January 2010 , Gattuso opened a fish shop in his home town of Corigliano Calabro . Gattuso is a Catholic , and when he played for Rangers , a club with a Protestant identity in the 1997–98 season , he alleged that his teammates ordered him to take off his crucifix necklace . Gattusos sister , Francesca , died in June 2020 at the age of 37 . She had been in intensive care since February . Gattuso suffers from an auto-immune disease named ocular myasthenia since his days as a footballer . He opened up about his illness in late 2020 after he appeared on the pitch wearing an eyepatch during several games . Media . Gattuso features in EA Sports FIFA football video game series ; he was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 16 and later iterations of the game . Honours . Player . Perugia Youth - Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti : 1995–96 Milan - Serie A : 2003–04 , 2010–11 - Coppa Italia : 2002–03 - Supercoppa Italiana : 2004 , 2011 - UEFA Champions League : 2002–03 , 2006–07 - UEFA Super Cup : 2003 , 2007 - FIFA Club World Cup : 2007 Italy U21 - UEFA Under-21 European Championship : 2000 Italy - FIFA World Cup : 2006 Individual - FIFA World Cup All-Star Team : 2006 - Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare Gaetano Scirea : 2012 - FIFPro World XI : Nominee 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , 2008 - A.C . Milan Hall of Fame Orders Manager . Napoli - Coppa Italia : 2019–20