Before Tottenham Hotspur landed Nuno Espírito Santo as its manager, one of the candidates for the position was Italian tactician Gennaro Gattuso.
In an interview with Il Messaggero (via The Daily Mail), the former Napoli boss discussed his inability to land the managerial role with the English club. Gattuso stated that his failure to land the job “hurt more than any defeat or dismissal.”
“I don’t even want to talk about it. It’s useless to add further details, I’ve already forgotten that story, but I can’t do the same with the other one,” Gattuso said.
“It was a huge disappointment, but I wasn’t described for the way I am, and there was nothing I could do. I am sorry I could not defend myself and explain that I am not the person they were talking about in England.”
Despite being in advance talks with former AS Roma manager Paulo Fonseca, and then the sudden availability of Gattuso was a contributing factor to abandoning talks with Fonseca.
Once reports surfaced that Gattuso was in consideration to be the next Tottenham manager and replace the outgoing Jose Mourinho, there was an online backlash from supporters.
Gattuso’s views past comments on racism, women in football, and same-sex marriage led to many protesting this hiring, leading to the plug being pulled on this idea.
Nonetheless, this interview with the Italian media seems as though Gattuso is bitter about the social media backlash that came with his potential hiring. The 43-year-old isn’t on social media and doesn’t plan on joining a platform anytime soon.
He did a lousy job defending himself. Bet you he has remote starters, Iphone and all the gagdets, but refused even if he is not behind the keyboard, you got to get your side of the story out. He never so people like myself do not care about him comimg out and cursing at social media. PR bro, it is the now world and not going anywhere
How badly did u want the job anyway?
That’s the world we live in today. Something you said 10-20 years ago will come back and haunt you. As for free speech it seems free speech existing only if the liberal media agrees with you. If not you are censored
Not that I had any great enthusiasm to see him join the club, but to pick on a bloke for some of his comments about same-sex marriage at a time when even St Obama and Joe Biden were opposed to it seems a bit unfair. Times have changed, those who shout loudest appear to have ‘progressed’ so far that things said 13 years ago are reason to summon a lynch mob!
Think he dodged a bullet……this season is either going to make or break us!!
The cynic in me thinks the latter
Can you imagine if he had got the job. Turning up at first day of pre-season to be greeted by a mixture of wastrels and a few kids. He would have called an Uber and headed straight back to Heathrow.
Figures in high profile jobs and positions are quite rightly expected to show compassion and acceptance of people from all walks of life. Football fans encompass all types of people regardless of status/sexuality or whatever category they identify with and high profile managers words have power and some people take them literally. Yes, I agree that mistakes can be made and sometimes someone should not necessarily be hauled over the coals for them, but I believe that any form of intolerance is not acceptable regardless of who says it and why.
Never a good fit anyway he had left his previous club after 22 days due to transfer policy.
dont know what Paratici was thinking
His comments were cherry picked and possibly slightly out of context, however you have to be squeaky clean and people aren’t even allowed to get it wrong occasionally.
We live in a world where you are expected to say all the right things otherwise you’re toast. We seem to allow all sorts of other bad behavior in society but if you don’t show complete enthusiasm for wokeiness you aren’t human.
Also, Gattuso being such a thug as a player hardly laid the best foundations for being welcomed with open arms. Regardless of what he thinks of men marrying each other…