Olympique Marseille are set to appoint Gennaro Gattuso as their new head coach, according to multiple reports. The former AC Milan and Napoli boss has been out of work since leaving the latter in May, following a disagreement with the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Gattuso, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, is known for his fiery and passionate style of management, as well as his tactical acumen and defensive discipline. He led Napoli to the Coppa Italia title in 2020 and also guided them to the round of 16 in the Champions League last season, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Chelsea.
Olympique Marseille, who finished fifth in Ligue 1 last term, has been looking for a new coach since Jorge Sampaoli left to join Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro in June. The club's president Pablo Longoria has been in talks with Gattuso for several weeks and is confident of securing his signature in the coming days.
Gattuso will inherit a squad that has been strengthened by several signings this summer, including Cengiz Ünder from Roma, Matteo Guendouzi from Arsenal, and Konrad de la Fuente from Barcelona. He will also can work with some of the club's established stars, such as Dimitri Payet, Florian Thauvin, and Arkadiusz Milik.
The main challenge for Gattuso will be to close the gap with the top teams in France, especially Paris Saint-Germain, who have added Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Gianluigi Donnarumma to their already formidable roster. Gattuso will also aim to make an impact in Europe, as Olympique Marseille has qualified for the Europa League group stage.
Gattuso is expected to sign a two-year contract with Olympique Marseille, with an option for a third year. He will be officially presented as the new head coach next week and will take charge of his first game on October 3rd, when Olympique Marseille host Lens at the Stade Vélodrome.
