Gattuso new coach of Italy, it's official. Gravina: "For him the blue is a second skin"

Now it's official: Gennaro Gattuso is the new coach of Italy . The 47-year-old Calabrian coach, chosen by the football federation after Claudio Ranieri's refusal , takes Luciano Spalletti 's place on the Azzurri bench. The goal is to bring Italy back to the World Cup after two editions in which the national team failed to qualify for the world championship, always exiting in the play-offs.

Gattuso's contract

Gattuso , who will be presented on Thursday 19 June at 11 am at the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome, has signed a one-year contract (a salary of around two million), and will make his debut on 5 September in the match against Estonia in Bergamo, valid for the World Cup qualifiers . A match not to be missed, because with Norway already on the run (4 wins out of 4) every misstep could further distance Italy from the objective.

Gattuso's staff

The new coach's staff will include his historic assistant Luigi Riccio, Leonardo Bonucci as a collaborator, the trainers Dominici and Tenderini and the match-analyst Sangermani. Only the name of the second goalkeeping coach, alongside the regular Perrone, remains to be decided.

Gravina: “The blue for Gattuso is a second skin”

Gabriele Gravina , president of the FIGC, presented the new coach of Italy: "Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football, the blue for him is like a second skin. His motivations, his professionalism and his experience will be fundamental to best face the upcoming commitments of the National team. Aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve, I thank him for the availability and total dedication with which he has accepted this challenge, sharing the FIGC project of overall development of our football, in which the blue shirt plays a strategic central role".