Italy have their man! Gennaro Gattuso chosen as new coach ahead of two other World Cup winners after Claudio Ranieri and Stefano Pioli turn down national team job

The 2006 World Cup winner and AC Milan legend has been chosen as the man to replace Luciano Spalletti at the helm and held talks with Italian Football Association (FIGC) Gianluigi Buffon, the head of the national team delegation, and president Gabrielle Gravina in Rome, as reported by SportItalia.

Gattuso's World Cup-winning team-mates Fabio Cannavaro and Danielle De Rossi had also been highlighted as candidates for the role, but the former Milan, Napoli and Marseille manager has become the frontrunner. Earlier, Italy had approached Ranieri and later Pioli to take the job but they both declined in the days after Spalletti was sacked following their World Cup qualifying defeat to Norway.

Gattuso had brief spells of coaching in Italy and he earned his only trophy as manager when he won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in the 2019-20 season after beating Juventus in the final on penalties.

Gattuso will have no time to spare as Italy must change their fortunes quickly so as not to miss out on a spot at the World Cup for the third time in a row. Gattuso will rely on his experience of being a World Cup winner himself to lead his charge as they target the 2026 competition in the Canada, United States and Mexico.