Italy to appoint Gattuso as coach, Buffon confirms

Italy are acceptable to name their erstwhile midfielder Gennaro Gattuso arsenic caller caput manager to regenerate the precocious sacked Luciano Spalletti, Gianluigi Buffon, caput of delegation with the Italian shot federation (FIGC), said connected Saturday.

"We person worked, we are present waiting for the last details," Buffon, speaking astatine the Under-21 European Championship, told Italy's authorities broadcaster RAI erstwhile asked to corroborate that Gattuso would beryllium announced arsenic the caller coach.

"The president and the full federation person had immoderate engaged days but I deliberation that successful the extremity we made the champion choice."

Spalletti's sacking came aft little than 2 years successful the job, taking complaint for the last clip successful the 2-0 triumph implicit Moldova the time aft helium announced his ain dismissal pursuing a 3-0 nonaccomplishment successful Norway successful Italy's opening World Cup qualifying game.

Gattuso, who made 73 appearances for Italy and was a subordinate of the 2006 World Cup winning squad, precocious near Croatian nine Hajduk Split by communal consent, aft a third-placed decorativeness successful the country's apical flight.

Claudio Ranieri had been the FIGC's archetypal choice, but the 73-year-old turned down the connection to absorption connected his elder advisor relation astatine AS Roma.

Gattuso began his managerial vocation arsenic subordinate manager astatine Swiss nine Sion successful 2013 wherever helium finished his playing days aft 13 seasons with AC Milan but was fired aft winning 2 of his 10 league games successful charge.

His lone trophy arsenic manager came astatine Napoli, lifting the Coppa Italia successful 2020, successful a 12-year vocation successful which helium has taken complaint astatine 9 clubs, including AC Milan, Valencia and a five-month spell astatine Marseille.

Gattuso was appointed arsenic Fiorentina manager successful 2021, but 22 days aboriginal the nine announced they had mutually rescinded the agreement, with reports citing disagreements implicit transportation strategy.

The 47-year-old volition beryllium tasked with getting Italy to adjacent year's World Cup, aft they missed retired connected the past 2 tournaments, and volition statesman connected the backmost ft aft the humbling nonaccomplishment successful Oslo.