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Former AC Milan and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed Italy national team coach, the Italian football federation (FIGC) said on Sunday.
Gattuso replaces Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked last week following a heavy defeat by Norway in a World Cup qualifier. The former midfielder will be formally introduced as coach on Thursday at Rome's Parco dei Principi Hotel.
"Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football - the blue jersey is like a second skin for him. His motivations, his professionalism and his experience will be fundamental to best face the upcoming commitments of the National Team," FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said in a statement.
"Aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve, I thank him for the availability and total dedication with which he has received this challenge, sharing the FIGC project for the overall development of our football, in which the blue jersey plays a strategic central role."
Spalletti departed after a stint of under two years, overseeing his final match, a 2-0 victory against Moldova, just a day after revealing he had been dismissed following Italy's 3-0 defeat by Norway in their opening World Cup qualifier.
Gattuso, who won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020, is tasked with getting four-times World Champions Italy to next year's World Cup, after they missed out on the last two editions of the tournament.
An FIGC source told Reuters the 47-year-old has been given a one-year contract, including the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Gattuso made 73 appearances for Italy and was a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad. He recently left Croatian club Hajduk Split by mutual consent, after a third-placed finish in the country's top flight.
FIGC member Gianluigi Buffon had discussed Gattuso's appointment on Saturday. Veteran Italian coach Claudio Ranieri was the FIGC's top candidate for the role, but the 73-year-old declined the offer, choosing instead to concentrate on his position as senior advisor at AS Roma.
Italy, third in World Cup qualifying Group I, will host Estonia in Bergamo on September 5 before taking on Israel in Hungary three days later.
Gattuso began his coaching career as player-coach at Swiss club Sion in 2013 where he finished his playing days after 13 seasons with Milan but was fired after winning two of his 10 league games in charge.
Over a 12-year coaching journey, Gattuso has led nine clubs, including Milan, Spanish side Valencia, and a brief stint at Ligue 1's Olympique de Marseille.
Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri, who previously managed Chelsea, Napoli and Juventus, backed Gattuso and said there was a disconnect between the quality of Italian clubs and the national team, who won Euro 2020 but only reached the round of 16 in last year's European Championship.
"I am very fond of Gattuso and I want to tell him this, let Gattuso be Gattuso, even as the Italy coach, without giving in to any kind of compromise on his style of football," the 66-year-old told Tutto Mercato Web.
"There is clearly something not working, because two years ago we were second in the UEFA ranking for clubs and this season we are third, yet we have incredible problems with the national team," he added.
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