Gennaro Gattuso’s tenure as the manager of Hajduk Split has barely begun, but the Italian coach is already making headlines. Following a 0-0 draw against HB Torshavn in the Conference League qualifier, which secured Hajduk’s progression to the next round, Gattuso engaged in a heated exchange with a Croatian journalist who criticized the team’s performance.
The former AC Milan and Napoli coach didn’t hold back when the journalist’s question, translated to Italian, suggested that the result was better than the performance, especially in the second half. Gattuso immediately fired back:
“What about the first half? Do you only want to talk about the negative things? Answer me. Let’s talk about the positive aspects first, then we can discuss what didn’t work. You and I are starting off on the wrong foot. We played incredible football for 60 minutes, and you come here telling me we didn’t do well in the last 30? Why? Tell me!”
This unscripted moment has already gone viral, raising the stakes for Gattuso ahead of Hajduk’s Croatian league debut on August 4th against Slaven Belupo.
After turning down offers from Saudi Arabian clubs, the 2006 World Cup winner accepted this new challenge, brought to him by his former player Nikola Kalinic, now Hajduk’s sporting director. The club is aiming to compete for their first national title since 2005, bolstered by the retention of former Inter players Ivan Perisic and Marko Livaja, as well as ex-Palermo star Trajkovski. They’ve also made a significant market move by acquiring Ivan Rakitic.
🗣💬 “Tu ne veux parler que du négatif ? Réponds, oh. Toi et moi ça commence mal”
Des nouvelles de Gennaro Gattuso, déjà dans une forme olympique face à la presse pour ses premiers pas à la tête du club croate du HNK Hajduk Split. pic.twitter.com/7zIYRQy1kI
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) August 2, 2024
