Gennaro Gattuso defends himself against accusations of discrimination

Valencia appear set to appoint Italian manager and iconic midfielder Gennaro Gattuso as their new coach for next season after announcing the departure of Jose Bordalas.

Gattuso was most recently at Napoli where he was for around 18 months, before being let go at the Stadio San Paolo. He has been heavily linked with the Valencia job and although the official announcement is yet to be made, many are discussing it as a done deal.

Including former Valencia Vice-President Miguel Zorio. The local businessmen has criticised the club for supposedly appointing Gattuso, saying that Tottenham Hotspur didn’t appoint him because of his discriminatory comments.

Marca provided the background to these comments.

“Honestly, I can’t see women in football. I don’t like to say it, but that’s the way it is,” Gattuso said in 2013.

“Marriage should be between a man and a woman and homosexual marriage is pretty strange to me,” was a statement made in 2008.

“How many times have white players been booed? It’s happened to me, but I don’t pay much attention to it,” commented Gattuso in response to Kevin Prince Boateng leaving the pitch after racist abuse.

Marca were also on hand to provide Gattuso’s response to these comments. The Italian manager was only made aware of Zorio’s comments upon getting of his flight, at which he wasn’t best pleased.

“My past speaks for me. Me a racist? Am I a homophobe? Am I xenophobic? Me misogynistic? Are we crazy? Now is the time to be calm.”

“The phrase about women, made at the point when Barbara Berlusconi was entering football, was more of a defence of the work of Galliani, which had been interrupted.”

“Racist? Then why did I sign Bakayoko when I was at Napoli? I have never had anything against black players, many of which have been my colleagues and friends. What do these people that talk about racism know about me, these lions that hide behind a keyboard or behind a nickname?”

“I come from a small village in Calabria, Corigliano Calabro. I made myself, as a boy I went to play in Scotland. Do you know what it means for the southerner to be outside of Italy and show the whole world that they can make it? I built my career with hard work, commitment, sweat. Nobody gave me anything. And I won’t permit that anyone, with terrible accusations, hampers my work.”

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