Soccer-Napoli have‘full confidence’ in coach Gattuso

Former midfielder Gattuso won two Serie A titles and two Champions Leagues with AC Milan and the World Cup with Italy among other honours during a distinguished playing career. He next leads Napoli against Spezia in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Thursday and the winners will face Atalanta in the semis.

Napoli publicly backed coach Gennaro Gattuso on Wednesday after speculation that he could be sacked by the Serie A club following a slump in form.

Former AC Milan boss Gattuso came in for criticism after suffering a 2-0 defeat by Juventus in the Italian Super Cup and a 3-1 home loss to Hellas Verona in Serie A last week. "President Aurelio De Laurentiis, with vice president Edoardo (De Laurentiis) and CEO Andrea Chiavelli, met the coaching staff tonight to confirm full confidence in the coach Rino Gattuso," Napoli said in a statement.

The 43-year-old was appointed in December 2019, six months after leaving Milan, to replace the sacked Carlo Ancelotti. He led Napoli to a Coppa Italia triumph in his first season, the club’s first trophy in six years.

Disappointing results since the turn of the year, however, including a 2-1 loss at home to 10-man Spezia and a draw with struggling Torino, led to media reports that the club were considering other options including former boss Rafael Benitez. Former midfielder Gattuso won two Serie A titles and two Champions Leagues with AC Milan and the World Cup with Italy among other honours during a distinguished playing career.

He next leads Napoli against Spezia in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Thursday and the winners will face Atalanta in the semis.