Former Italian Star Appointed as National Team Manager

Italy is poised to name Gennaro Gattuso as their new manager, replacing the recently dismissed Luciano Spalletti. This announcement was made by Gianluigi Buffon, the head of delegation for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). Buffon confirmed the news while speaking at the Under-21 European Championship, stating that the final details were being finalized. He added that the federation had worked diligently and believed they had made the best choice.

Spalletti's departure came after a tenure of less than two years. His final match in charge was a 2-0 victory against Moldova. He had previously announced his resignation following a 3-0 defeat to Norway in Italy's initial World Cup qualifying match.

Gattuso, a former midfielder with 73 appearances for Italy and a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning team, recently concluded his time at Croatian club Hajduk Split by mutual agreement. The team finished third in the top flight.

Initially, Claudio Ranieri was the FIGC's preferred candidate. However, the 73-year-old declined the offer to focus on his role as a senior advisor at AS Roma.

Gattuso's managerial career began in 2013 as a player-coach at Swiss club Sion. He was later dismissed after a poor run of results. His most significant achievement as a manager was winning the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020. Over his 12-year managerial career, he has managed nine different clubs, including AC Milan, Valencia, and a brief stint at Olympique de Marseille.

In 2021, Gattuso was appointed as Fiorentina manager, but the agreement was mutually terminated just 22 days later, reportedly due to disagreements over transfer strategy.

Gattuso, now 47, will be responsible for guiding Italy to the next World Cup. The team has failed to qualify for the last two tournaments. He will face an immediate challenge following the recent defeat in Oslo.