Since February 20 of this year, Gennaro Gattuso had been without a job, having been dismissed from Olympique Marseille after achieving only nine victories in 24 matches. "Even before his dismissal, Italian media reported that his family had been victims of extortion by the mafia. This included the arson of his sister’s car, and Gattuso paid the mafia a €3,000 bribe. 'The people from 'Ndrangheta target me because I'm an easy mark,' Gattuso reportedly said".
All of Croatia Is Talking About What Gattuso Did
In mid-June of this year, Gattuso found a new job, signing a contract with Croatian club Hajduk Split.
The environments and clubs where Gattuso has worked are known for being extremely demanding, but he has proven to be highly resilient under intense pressure and high expectations
- the club said after signing him.
So far, Gattuso is doing very well in Croatia. His team is leading the league after six rounds, with 14 points from four wins and two draws. On Friday evening, Hajduk secured a 1-0 away victory against their longtime rivals, Dinamo Zagreb, with Marko Livaja scoring the winning goal in the 70th minute.
Nearly all Croatian media outlets are reporting on what coach Gattuso did after the win. The Italian decided to reward all his players and coaching staff with brand-new iPhone 16 models. Gattuso didn’t just give these phones as gifts but as a bonus for winning!
About 30-35 phones, each worth around €1,100, were delivered to the club, and the bill will be covered by the Hajduk coach," wrote 24sata.hr. "The coach doesn’t mind at all. He’s said many times that he’s earned enough and doesn’t coach for money, but because football is his passion. It’s a beautiful gesture by Gattuso. He had planned it earlier, but the results weren’t meeting expectations
- the journalists added.
Gattuso felt the significance of his first Croatian derby and didn’t hold back his energy during the match or his money after the win. It’s not common for coaches to give players gifts after matches, but Gattuso is known for frequently surprising people
- added Net.hr.
"Gattuso is a kind-hearted man, and even though this was his first time coaching the Whites in the Croatian derby, he understood the importance of the match. He didn’t hold back his voice during the game, nor his wallet after the match, gifting the team 30 phones. What a guy" - wrote Sportske.jutarnji.hr.
His behavior was also praised by the portal Vecernji.hr. "Gattuso is known as a fierce warrior on the pitch in the past and now as a strict coach. But he showed that training and matches aren’t the only things on his mind" - they added.
Hajduk Split is the eighth club in Gattuso’s managerial career. He has previously coached teams such as Palermo (2013), OFI Crete (2014), Pisa (2015-2017), AC Milan (2017-2019), Napoli (2019-2021), and Valencia (2022-2023).
