Gennaro Gattuso has been named as the new manager of Serie A side Fiorentina. The decision comes after the 43-year-old left his role as head coach of fellow Italian side Napoli at the end of the season.
Fiorentina become the fifth club to be managed by Gattuso, who also managed AC Milan at both under-19 and first-team level prior to taking the job at Napoli, where he had been in charge since December 2019.
Gennaro Gattuso Named as New Fiorentina Manager
Gattuso Looking to Build on AC Milan and Napoli Experiences
An AC Milan legend during his playing days, Gattuso’s managerial fortunes have been somewhat mixed so far. However, he did win his first major trophy as a head coach in the 2019/20 season, when his Napoli side beat Juventus on penalties in the Coppa Italia final.
Prior to that victory, the closest Gattuso had come to adding to the World Cup, Champions League and Serie A titles he won as a player was in the same competition in 2017, when he led his AC Milan team to a final that they lost at the hands of Juventus.
The 2020/21 season ended on an underwhelming note for Gattuso. Having been in the hunt for a place in next season’s Champions League for the majority of the campaign, Napoli slipped to fifth in the table on the final day and will now have to settle for a Europa League place.
This is a particularly disappointing outcome for the club’s fans to take, given that two more points would have seen Napoli finish above AC Milan in second, with only runaway Champions Inter Milan higher in the Serie A standings.
Work to Do at Fiorentina
On the face of it, Gattuso would appear to have taken a step down in swapping Napoli for Fiorentina. This season, Fiorentina finished 13th in Serie A, eight places and a huge 37 points behind his now-former team.
However, Fiorentina remain one of Italian football’s most attractive clubs, and Gattuso will clearly feel capable of helping them climb higher up the league table. If he is able to do so, it will be a huge statement from a manger viewed by many as having underachieved so far during his time in the dugout, and will enhance his credentials, which are currently under question in some quarters.
Just two days after his departure from Napoli, Gattuso has signed a contract at his new club.
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