Gennaro Gattuso facts for kids
Gattuso in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gennaro Ivan Gattuso | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 January 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Corigliano Calabro, Cosenza, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Italy (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | AC Milan | 335 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sion | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 403 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Italy U18 | 14 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Italy U21 | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Italy Olympic | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2010 | Italy | 73 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Sion | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Palermo | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | OFI Crete | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Pisa | |||||||||||||||||||||
| AC Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Napoli | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Marseille | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Hajduk Split | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso (born 9 January 1978) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national team.
As a player, Gattuso was known as a tough and energetic defensive midfielder. He played for clubs like Perugia and Rangers. However, he is most famous for his long career with AC Milan in Serie A. With AC Milan, he won the UEFA Champions League twice (in 2003 and 2007) and the Serie A title twice (in 2004 and 2011). He also helped Italy win the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Gattuso was famous for his strong partnership in midfield with Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso's hard work and ability to win the ball helped Pirlo play more creatively. He was also known for his competitive spirit and leadership. After retiring as a player, Gattuso became a football manager. He has coached several teams, including AC Milan and Napoli, where he won the Coppa Italia in 2020.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Early Football Days
Gennaro Gattuso was born in Corigliano Calabro, Italy. He started his football journey with the Italian team Perugia. In July 1997, when he was 19, he moved to the Scottish team Rangers. This move was a bit unusual at the time.
Gattuso quickly became a key player for Rangers. He made his debut in a 3–1 win against Hearts. He even scored his first goal for the club in a UEFA Cup match. After a successful season, he moved back to Italy in October 1998 to play for Salernitana.
Joining AC Milan
In the summer of 1999, AC Milan bought Gattuso for €8 million from Salernitana. He quickly became a regular player for the club. He made his debut in a UEFA Champions League match against Chelsea. Fans loved him for his strong and determined play, especially when he faced famous strikers like Ronaldo.
At AC Milan, Gattuso's hard work and ability to win the ball were very important. His manager, Carlo Ancelotti, paired him with the creative midfielder Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso would protect the defense and win the ball, allowing Pirlo to focus on creating attacks. This partnership was a huge reason for AC Milan's success. They won many titles together, including the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League in 2003, and the Serie A title in 2004.
Gattuso played his 300th game for AC Milan in 2006. In 2007, he won the Champions League again when Milan beat Liverpool 2–1 in the final. He continued to be a vital player for Milan, even wearing the captain's armband sometimes.
In the 2010–11 season, Gattuso helped AC Milan win their 18th Serie A title. He even scored a couple of important goals that season. In September 2011, Gattuso faced a serious challenge when he had vision problems during a game. He was diagnosed with a condition that caused double vision, which could have ended his career. However, he recovered and continued to play.
Gattuso announced in May 2012 that he would leave AC Milan at the end of the season. He had played 468 games for the club, scoring 11 goals.
Moving to Sion
After leaving AC Milan, Gattuso joined the Swiss club Sion in June 2012. He had been thinking about returning to his former club Rangers, but financial issues prevented that move. In February 2013, Gattuso was named the new manager of Sion, becoming a player-coach. He won his first match as a manager, but was sacked in May 2013.
Sportsmanship and Challenges
Gattuso was known for his fiery personality on the field. Sometimes, his passion led to moments where he lost his temper. For example, in a 2003 Champions League match, he was sent off for slapping an opponent. In 2011, during a game against Tottenham Hotspur, he had an incident with their coach, Joe Jordan. Gattuso later apologized, saying he "lost control" and that there was "no excuse" for his actions. He was suspended for several matches because of this. These incidents showed his intense desire to win, but also the importance of controlling emotions in sports.
International Career
Representing Italy's Youth Teams
Gattuso played for Italy's youth teams before joining the senior squad. He was part of the Italy under-18 side that finished second in the 1995 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship. He also played for the Italy under-21 side and helped them win the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Playing for the Senior Team
Gattuso made his debut for the Italy national football team in February 2000, when he was 22. He played in many major tournaments for Italy, including three FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships. He scored his only goal for Italy in a friendly match against England in November 2000.
Winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup
Gattuso was a key player for Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He formed a strong partnership with Andrea Pirlo in midfield. Gattuso's job was to break up the opponent's attacks and win the ball, which allowed Pirlo to focus on creating chances. Their teamwork was crucial to Italy's success. Gattuso was even named "Man of the Match" in Italy's quarter-final win against Ukraine.
Italy went on to win the World Cup final against France in a penalty shootout. Gattuso's passionate celebrations after the victory became famous! He was also named to the tournament's All-Star Team for his excellent performances.
Later International Years
Gattuso continued to play for Italy in UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He announced his retirement from international football after the 2010 World Cup, having played 73 games for his country.
Playing Style
Gattuso was known for his unique playing style. He was a central or defensive midfielder who was not the most technically skilled player, but he made up for it with his incredible energy, strength, and determination. He was a very aggressive and hard-tackling player with a high work rate.
His ability to win the ball and break down opponent attacks earned him the nickname Ringhio, which means "Snarl" in Italian. He was also known for his leadership qualities and competitive spirit. Gattuso's style of play perfectly complemented more creative players like Andrea Pirlo, making him one of the best defensive midfielders of his time.
Managerial Career
Early Coaching Roles
Gattuso started his coaching career while still playing for Sion in 2013. After leaving Sion, he had short spells managing Palermo in Italy and OFI Crete in Greece. At OFI Crete, he faced financial difficulties with the club but showed his strong character by initially resigning and then changing his mind to stay and support the team.
In 2015, Gattuso became the manager of Pisa. He led Pisa to Serie B (the second division of Italian football) in 2016, which was a great achievement. He later left Pisa due to club problems.
Coaching AC Milan
In May 2017, Gattuso was appointed as the coach of AC Milan Primavera, the club's under-19 team. Just a few months later, in November 2017, he was promoted to head coach of the AC Milan first team. He led Milan to a sixth-place finish in his first season.
In his first full season (2018-2019), Milan narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League. Gattuso left AC Milan by mutual agreement in May 2019.
Success with Napoli
On 11 December 2019, Gattuso was appointed head coach of Napoli. He quickly made an impact. In June 2020, he led Napoli to win the Coppa Italia, beating Juventus in the final. This was his first major trophy as a manager. He dedicated this win to his sister, who had recently passed away.
Gattuso left Napoli in May 2021 after they finished fifth in the league, just missing out on Champions League qualification.
Recent Coaching Roles
After Napoli, Gattuso had a very short time as manager of Fiorentina in May 2021, but he left after only two weeks due to disagreements.
In June 2022, he became the manager of Spanish club Valencia in La Liga. He stayed there until January 2023. In September 2023, Gattuso took charge of French club Marseille, but he was sacked in February 2024.
In June 2024, Gattuso signed a contract with Croatian club Hajduk Split. He left the club in June 2025. Following that, he was appointed as the head coach of the Italy national football team in June 2025.
Managerial Style
As a manager, Gattuso often uses a 4–3–3 formation, which is a common way to set up a football team. Unlike his own defensive playing style, his teams often focus on building plays from the back and keeping possession of the ball. They are also known for playing with high intensity and working hard to win the ball back quickly when they lose it. Gattuso is also known for creating a positive team spirit and encouraging a fighting mentality in his players.
Personal Life
Gennaro Gattuso is married to Monica Romano, who is Scottish with Italian roots. They have two children. In January 2010, Gattuso opened a fish shop in his hometown in Italy.
Gattuso has an auto-immune disease called ocular myasthenia. He spoke about his illness in late 2020 after he was seen wearing an eyepatch during some games. This condition affects his vision.
Media Appearances
In December 2003, Gattuso appeared on the Italian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with fellow footballer Christian Vieri. They played for charity and won €150,000.
Gattuso is also featured in the EA Sports' FIFA football video game series. He was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 16 and later versions of the game, showing his lasting impact on football.
Images for kids
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Gattuso in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Gennaro Gattuso para niños
