Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Ivan "Rino" Gattuso, Italian orders of merit, (born January 9, 1978 in Corigliano Calabro) is an Italians FIFA World Cup-winning Association football. Gennaro Gattuso main position is defensive midfielder; however, Gennaro Gattuso sometimes plays on the right side of midfield. Gennaro Gattuso currently plays for Italian club A.C. Milan, with whom Gennaro Gattuso has twice won the UEFA Champions League, in 2002–03 and 2006–07, and also the Serie A title in 2003–04.

Club career

Early career

Gattuso started Gennaro Gattuso career at the Italian side Perugia Calcio, but transferred in July 1997, at the age of 19, to the Scotland team Rangers F.C..

Walter Smith (footballer), who brought Gattuso to Glasgow, left the club in 1998. Smith's successor, Dick Advocaat, did not favour Gattuso and, after being played out-of-position as a right-back, the Italian was sold in October 1998 to then recently promoted to Serie A Salernitana Sport for £4m. Despite Gennaro Gattuso good performances, it was not enough to prevent the relegation of Gennaro Gattuso side.

Milan

Milan signed Gattuso for £8m in 1999. Gennaro Gattuso style allowed Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti to place midfielder Andrea Pirlo in a more attacking position. Gattuso plays deeper in midfield. Gennaro Gattuso will often move forward to win the ball for the forward players and then return to Gennaro Gattuso defensive position. Gennaro Gattuso style of play is characterised by fierce tackling and hard work – a style which has earned Gennaro Gattuso the nickname of Ringhio (the Snarler). Gennaro Gattuso signed a contract extension in June 2003 and in October 2004.

In a UEFA Champions League group stage match against AFC Ajax in September 2003, Gennaro Gattuso was sent off during second-half injury time after slapping Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimović in the face with the back of Gennaro Gattuso hand. Gennaro Gattuso temper has caused Gennaro Gattuso further problems when in December 2005, at the final whistle of Milan's 3-2 defeat of Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League, Gattuso was seen seeking out and taunting Schalke's midfielder Christian Poulsen as a reaction to Poulsen's fierce marking of Kaká in the first leg. Gattuso insisted though that the press exaggerated the significance of the incident.

Gennaro Gattuso played Gennaro Gattuso 300th game for the club in a goalless Champions League draw against Lille OSC on September 26, 2006, and Gennaro Gattuso extended Gennaro Gattuso current deal with Milan until 2011 on February 1, 2007. On May 23, 2007, Gattuso won the Champions League for the second time in Gennaro Gattuso career when Milan beat Liverpool F.C. 2-1 in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final.

On 27 December 2007, Gattuso trained with Gennaro Gattuso former club Rangers F.C. to regain fitness during the Serie A winter break whilst Gennaro Gattuso wife was visiting family in Scotland over Christmas. The following December, Gattuso suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament early on in the 1-0 league win against Calcio Catania. However, despite the injury, Gattuso played the entire 90 minutes before being diagnosed by the club doctors after the match. Gennaro Gattuso underwent surgery to repair the damage on 19 December 2008, in Antwerp. Gennaro Gattuso was expected to miss up to 6 months of action, but managed to return to the Milan bench on 10 May against Juventus, a month ahead of schedule.

International team

Gattuso has been capped over sixty times for Gennaro Gattuso country and played in the 2000 Summer Olympics, the Football World Cup 2002, the 2004 European Football Championship and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, being one of the key players for the Italian team, winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage Italy vs. Ukraine in the Round of 16 match against Ukraine national football team. Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo formed a formidable partnership in the heart of midfield. In the Euro 2008, when both of them had to miss the quarterfinal match against Spain due to accumulated yellow cards, coach Roberto Donadoni had a hard time finding replacements as none of the reserve players could match the lung-bursting contribution of the A.C. Milan duo. Italy went on to lose 4-2 in the ensuing penalty shoot-out.
Gattuso achieved a measure of notoriety for Gennaro Gattuso post-match celebrations after Italy won the World Cup in 2006 FIFA World Cup, during which Gennaro Gattuso removed Gennaro Gattuso shorts and ran around the pitch pantless, until FIFA officials forced Gennaro Gattuso to cover up.

International goal