New AC Milan sporting director Leonardo insisted Gennaro Gattuso is going nowhere, as he denied talking with Antonio Conte.
Gattuso’s position has come under threat following Leonardo’s appointment, with the former head coach reportedly seeking to lure ex-Chelsea boss Conte to the San Siro.
Milan only signed Gattuso to a three-year deal in April and Leonardo has no intention of parting with the 40-year-old just yet.
“My view is shared by the club, Gattuso was the first to be confirmed, this has never been up for discussion,” said Leonardo, who arrived in Milan as the Serie A club continued to overhaul its senior hierarchy under new owners Elliott Management.
“Gattuso has grown as a coach, he’s a Milan man and we’ll go from there.”
Gattuso was promoted from his role as head coach of the Primavera team to replace Vincenzo Montella in November.
He went on to lead Milan to a sixth-placed finish in Serie A last season, enough to qualify for the Europa League.
As a player, he mainly played in the centre as a defensive midfielder, although he was also capable of playing on the wing. Although he initially played for smaller Italian clubs Perugia and Salernitana, as well as Scottish club Rangers, he is mostly remembered for his time with Milan in Serie A, where he won the Champions League, in 2002–03 and 2006–07, the Coppa Italia in 2002–03, and also the Serie A title in 2003–04 and 2010–11. At international level, he represented the Italy national football team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, three FIFA World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Gattuso’s talismanic midfield partnership with playmaker Andrea Pirlo, both at club and international level, played a key role in Italy’s World Cup victory in 2006, as well as Milan’s domestic, European, and international successes during the mid-2000s.
Despite not being blessed with notable technical skills, Gattuso’s pace, strength, and work-rate complemented and supported Pirlo’s composed, creative playing style, while his energy, aggression, and hard-tackling style of play enabled him to make a name for himself as one of the best players in the world in his position.
In addition to his ball-winning abilities, Gattuso was also renowned for his competitive nature and leadership qualities throughout his career, often wearing the captain’s armband for Milan following Paolo Maldini’s retirement.
Gattuso is married to Monica Romano, a Scottish woman of Italian descent, whom he met while playing for Rangers at an exhibition game in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The couple dated for a long while before marrying. They have a daughter, Gabriella (born 20 June 2004), and a son, Francesco (born 8 November 2007). Monica is the sister of GMTV’s Los Angeles correspondent Carla Romano.