Fiorentina have won the Gennaro Gattuso sweepstakes and announced the hiring Tuesday. The Viola had been pursuing him for weeks, but Lazio recently joined the race and appeared in the lead. He was also mildly linked to Juventus. The 2006 World Cup winner met with directors Joe Barone and Daniele Pradè today and quickly put pen-to-paper on a two-year contract, Sky Sport reports.
Gattuso succeeds Giuseppe Iachini and Cesare Prandelli, who alternated on Fiorentina’s bench this year, where they finished 13th. President Rocco Commisso commented on the official site: “I’m convinced that he will help up progress. His professional and personal background shows that he will bring determination, competence, and desire to our club. I would like to thank the senior management team for their hard work in completing such an important appointment within days within days of the season finishing.”
Gattuso dropped out of the Champions League race in the final matchday. However, he put together a solid stint with the Partenopei after taking over from Carlo Ancelotti, collecting 46 wins, 13 draws, and 22 losses since December of 2019. He previously managed Milan, Pisa, OFI Crete, Palermo, and Sion.
As for Gattuso’s old club, Sergio Conceiçao lost all his momentum in the span of a night and will not be appointed. President Aurelio De Laurentiis announced that he is going to name the new coach within a week. The latest name added to the long list of candidates is Christophe Galtier, who has just won Ligue 1 with Lille and publicly confirmed the talks. Multiple Italian coaches are also in the running, starting with Luciano Spalletti, Corriere della Sera reports.