Football is a spectacle because it moves a lot of money, but without the passion of footballers like the one we will meet today, it would not make sense. The case of Gattuso is that of a footballer who never stood out technically, but with his capacity for sacrifice and his impetuous character to recover the ball, he became quite one football legend.
His companions nicknamed him Rhino because, in Italian, it means something like a growl, and his temperament and bad temper made him a true attack dog in the countryside. Loved by his fans and feared by his rivals, Gattuso became one of the best defensive midfielders in history.
Gattuso Biography
Gennaro Gattuso, he was born on January 9, 1978, in the Italian region of Corigliano. His father was a humble fisherman with a past as a soccer player, and from whom, Gennaro learned the craft of fishing and collected the values of the sport.
Gennaro was not a good student, so he spent his entire youth running after two balls, the soccer ball and the rugby ball. Gattuso combined the practice of both sports well into his adolescence, but despite being an under-17 international with the oval ball Azzurra, he ended up opting for Calcio.
The Italian midfielder made his professional debut in Perugia, with whom he participated in two games to achieve promotion to Serie A in 1996. The following year, Gattuso played 8 games in the top category but, due to the lack of minutes, decided to leave the country in search of opportunities.
Scottish Adventure
Gattuso received an offer from Glasgow Rangers and, at only 19 years old, he lived a short-lived and beautiful adventure in Scotland. The vigorous Calabrian midfielder played a single season with the Protestants, where he coincided with another football madman: Paul Gascoigne. Gattuso fit perfectly with the tough game of British football and connected with the Ibrox Park stands from the first moment. His vigorous physical waste made him an undisputed player for Walter Smith, but unfortunately, his team did not win any titles.
Return to Italy
The poor results led to Advocaat’s arrival at Rangers, and Gattuso was completely harmed. The coach began by lining him up as a right back, and after playing 51 games and scoring 5 goals, Gennaro decided to return to his country. After starting a family in Scotland, Gattuso signed for the modest Salernitana, and although I could not avoid the relegation of his team, he attracted attention for his physical waste and his high competitive level
Signing for Milan
Milan decided to sign him in 1999 for 8 million euros, and Gattuso fulfilled his dream of playing for the club he cheered for as a child. In his first season, he established himself as a tireless marker, and after drying out great Calcio stars, he managed to make his debut with the Italian senior team. Gattuso was also one of the main actors in the European Under-21 conquered by the Italian team, and that same summer of 2000, he participated with the Azzurra in the Sydney Olympic Games.
In 2001, Ancelotti landed on the Rossoneri bench, and Gatusso became an undisputed player for Carletto. The Italian coach placed him as Andrea Pirlo’s escort, and both legends became great friends to dominate the Milan midfield and the Italian team. While the Master distributed the game, Rino distributed caresses to his rivals, whom he intimidated with his impetuous way of playing and experiencing the games.
2002 World Cup in Korea
The Calabrian midfielder was called up by Trapattoni to play World Cup in Korea and Japan (2002), and after passing the first phase, Gattuso witnessed one of the most controversial matches in history. The Italian team played against Korea in the round of 16, and Byron Moreno drove the Azzurri crazy with very controversial decisions. Italy and Gattuso returned home early, but after 3 seasons without titles, the Italian guerrilla began playing trophies at San Siro.
The golden era with Milan
In the 2002-2003 season, Milan lifted the Italian Cup, and a few weeks later, Gattuso won the most precious trophy, the Champions League. The Rossoneri won their Sixth European Cup after eliminating Inter in the semifinals and taking the lead in the final after beating Juventus in the penalty shootout.
With Gattuso as the attack dog, Milan began a glorious era for the Lombard club, and after winning the European Super Cup, the Rossoneri were proclaimed champions of Scudetto after 5 years of waiting. That team was destined to repeat successes in the Champions League, but, inexplicably, deportivo came back from 4-1 down in the quarterfinals.
In the summer of 2004, Gattuso attended his first Euro Cup in Portugal, but he saw how the Azzurra she was eliminated in the first phase after an alleged Vikimgo biscotti between Sweden and Denmark. Back in Milan, Gattuso won the Italian Super Cup, but the Rossoneri came second in the League and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Italian Coppa.
In the Champions League, Gattuso was once again key in taking his team to the final against Liverpool, but in Istanbul, he experienced another dramatic defeat. The Italians swept their rival in the first half, but although they went with a 3-0 lead at half-time, Liverpool managed to turn it around in the second half. The English tied with 3 goals in less than 15 minutes and ended up taking the title from Milan in the penalty shootout.
World Champion with Italy (2006)
The 2005-2006 season was not good for Milan either, which closed the season without any title and began to get rid of important players (Shevchenko, Crespo, Stam…). The scandal of the case “Calciopoli” exploded shortly after in Italian football and, with the whole atmosphere against him, Gattuso was part of the Italian team that won the World Cup in Germany
Rino was a key player for Lippi throughout the tournament, and after playing all 6 of the 7 championship matches, he left his name engraved among the Legends that won the Fourth World Cup for Italy.
His Second Champions League (2007)
After the World Cup, Gattuso returned to a Milan team in clear decline, but despite being sanctioned with 30 points less by him, Moggigate was able to access the qualifying phase of the Champions League. The Rossoneri managed to access the group stage and, led by the magic of Kaka and Gattuso’s dirty work, managed to get into a new Champions League final.
In Athens, the Rossoneri met again with BenÃtez’s Liverpool, although this time luck fell on the Italian side. Milan took the 2-1 victory with two goals from Pippo Inzaghi, and Gattuso lifted his second Champions League in 5 years.
Decline Rossoneri
Milan began 2007-2008 by winning the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup but he completed an unfortunate season in Italy by finishing fifth in the League and being eliminated by Arsenal in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Milan’s good times seemed over, and Gattuso went to Euro 2008, wanting to redeem himself with the Italy shirt. Unfortunately for Rino, Italy had a very discreet tournament and, after being beaten by the Netherlands and drawing with Romania, they qualified for the quarterfinals with only one victory over France. La Azzurra would fall on penalties against Tiki Taka’s Spain, and Gattuso would return to San Siro to sustain a project that was adrift.
Berlusconi and Galliani tried to reactivate the Rossoneri squad with former Galacticos like Ronaldinho, Beckham, or the return of Shevchenko but Milan was once again very far from competing for titles. The poor results caused the departure of Carlo Ancelotti and Gattuso, separated from a coach whom he always considered a football father.
Farewell and Retirement
Without Carletto, Milan suffered another season without titles, and Gattuso lived his last years as a footballer. Rino said goodbye to the Italian team after being eliminated in the first phase of the South Africa World Cup 2010 and, after scoring 1 goal and playing 73 games with the Azzurri armor, he retired as an international to make way for the youngsters.
In the 2010-2011 season, Gattuso and Milan won the Scudetto again after a 7-year drought, and when it seemed that Rino would return his club to glory, he experienced the worst drama of his career. Gattuso began to suffer vision problems in his left eye, and after several days of seeing spots, he played a game against Lazio, practically blind. In that match, he retired after crashing into Nesta, and after several eye tests, he was diagnosed with a neurological problem that would require lifelong medication.
After months of recovery, Gattuso managed to return to the playing field, but in his last season with Milan, he only participated in 7 games. The Calabrian warrior said goodbye to San Siro after playing 467 games and scoring 11 goals with the Rossoneri shirt and he left like a Legend of the Lombard club after winning 2 Scudettos, 2 Champions, 2 European Super Cups, 1 Italian Super Cup, and 1 Italian Coppa.
In addition to his performance as a footballer, Gattuso became a much-loved character in the locker room, being a regular victim of practical jokes from his teammates. Pirlo and company made fun of his way of speaking, scared him at night, and even sprayed him with a fire extinguisher. Of course, Rino responded with blows and, according to Pirlo himself, he even injured a teammate by stabbing him in the leg with a fork.
