Gennaro Gattuso has been named the new head coach of Lazio, the Serie A club confirmed on Tuesday. This appointment arrives roughly three months after his brief stint leading the Italian national team concluded following their unsuccessful bid to qualify for the World Cup.
According to official statements, Gattuso has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract worth 1.5 million euros in annual net salary. He takes over for Maurizio Sarri, who walked away from his position last month following a disappointing campaign that saw the club finish in ninth place and suffer a defeat against Inter Milan in the Italian Cup final.
Gattuso, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career at AC Milan, now faces a difficult task in Rome. He must manage a squad currently dealing with significant fan dissatisfaction directed at club owner Claudio Lotito.
While his playing career was decorated with multiple league titles and two Champions League trophies, his management resume is less extensive, with his only major title being the 2020 Italian Cup with Napoli. His recent time as Italy manager ended in a challenging penalty shoot-out loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which resulted in the national team missing out on the World Cup for the third time in a row.
