Gennaro Gattuso insists he wants to be judged only for his work and admits being ashamed of the famous clash with Tottenham Hotspur’s Joe Jordan.
The former midfielder has an agreement in place to become the new Valencia coach, but he has once again received criticism for some statements from the past, being accused of being racist and sexist. The same allegations cost him the Tottenham Hotspur job one year ago, when he was in talks with the North Londoners.
“I only want to do the work that I like, quietly. And be judged only for that. For what I am, really,” he told Il Corriere della Sera newspaper.
“Women do better than men in any field, the more women have responsibility, the better.
“I’m very different from the way I’ve been described over the last 12 months. Somebody uses quotes from the past without context with the only objective of delegitimising a person and a life,” he continued.
“I don’t have social media accounts. There’s a reason why I am known as Ringhio. I’m not looking for easy endorsements, I am a man who works, who has always worked, who has worked so hard and who is grateful to life for what it has given me.
Nobody can ever be judged for the colour of their skin. I know many white people who are not behaving well. Racism must be fought. The skin’s colour doesn’t count to me. What matters is a person, his honesty and loyalty.
My dad worked in Germany for one year and a half, half of my family is spread around the world. Everyone has gone around the world, looking for opportunities that Calabria could not offer them, how could I be racist?”
The day Gennaro Gattuso took on Joe Jordan 😲😂
Can you believe this moment is 🔟 years old!? 😳pic.twitter.com/JDSg944mO8
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2021
What does he feel when watching the incident with Tottenham’s assistant coach Joe Jordan from more than ten years ago?
“I made a mistake and I feel ashamed. It’s something I did and it was an unjustifiable error. I could say that these things happen on the pitch, but I am ashamed of it. I have a 14-year-old son. Do you think I am not ashamed every time he rightly asks me why I did it?”
The former midfielder came close to reaching a top-four finish at Milan in 2019. Gattuso and the Rossoneri parted ways by mutual agreement at the end of the season and the coach refused a contract payout, which was given to his staff members instead. How much was it?
“Circa €5.5m. A part of it was used to pay my staff members who would become jobless and it wasn’t fair,” he revealed.
“It wasn’t a big problem for me. Milan have changed my life. I can’t forget when I celebrated the 1990 European cup victory in the streets with my father, wearing a Rossoneri shirt. I was so proud.
“I am grateful to Milan, I am what I am today thanks to them. I didn’t want to be a burden, so I left quietly.”
Gattuso will meet Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid next season. They won 11 trophies together at Milan, but ‘Rino’ also replaced his former boss at Napoli in 2019.
“I always support Carlo, how couldn’t I? I won 11 trophies with him. He is a master who can manage every group. He could do it 30 years ago, and he can do it now as he proved at Real Madrid. It will be so nice to meet him in La Liga,” he said.
Gattuso is a 2006 Italy World Cup winner. What does he remember about the Azzurri’s campaign in Germany?
“I remember every part of it, like a movie. I had picked up a knock and I didn’t want to go to Germany, but Marcello Lippi wanted me there.
“I remember that in 2005, after Milan’s loss in the Champions League Final in Istanbul, I spoke about it for 35 minutes at a press conference with the national team.
“When I returned to my room, Lippi was furious. He locked the door and destroyed me. He told me that I was there with the Azzurri shirt, so it was the only thing I should have talked about. He taught me so much in ten minutes. He has the main merit of that victory.”
A true Milanista, wishing you all the best in your future endeavours
What a great warrior, wishing you success ‘Ringho’ BONNE CHANCE
he deserved his chance. he admit he made mistake, thou still not sure he decent coach or not but he deserved its at valencia. good luck rino
Wishing you the best in Valencia.
Two legends who both love and embraced Milan. It was a frustrating night for many reasons, and it certainly wasn’t something for either of them to be proud of. Joe accused Thiago Silva of diving of diving, and to be fair, Ringhio’s reaction deserved a red card. But what he has showed since returning to coach in Serie A, is that he is an honourable man who is loved by his players, and certainly conducts himself with dignity on the touchline. Everyone makes mistakes.
It was a bad gesture against Joe Jordan. I remember watching it.
It happens. I think Zidane has many more bad incidents that never get brought up.
Met Ringhio in 2007 at a charity event he was holding and snapped a picture with him.
But I will say, this Agent Mendes seems to be bad news.
He needs to distance himself from him. It’s clear what is being done.