It hasn’t come out of the blue, but Gennaro Gattuso is on the verge of being announced as the new Valencia manager officially.
Rumours of the appointment had been abound for weeks, despite the fact Jose Bordalas hadn’t officially been let go yet. Yet finally it appears as if the deal will come to fruition.
Welcomed at the airport by a throng of local media, Gattuso had some short words for the press in which he confirmed he would be Valencia manager.
“I am very happy, it’s the first time I have been to Valencia and I am happy, very proud. I have signed a contract with a centurial club, with a lot of history and honour.”
🛬 LLEGADA de Gennaro GATTUSO a Valencia
😃 CONTENTO por firmar en una entidad centenaria
🗣️ Mañana la presentación oficial
📹: @SalvaGomis97 pic.twitter.com/54pQfPniJh
— Tribuna Deportiva (@TribunaVCF) June 8, 2022
“The fans are very excited, I am too and tomorrow we can speak about everything in the press conference and then we are going to work very hard.”
Mundo Deportivo carried the quotes from their new coach, which Valencia fans will be hoping marks a point of inflection.
Los Che have been on a painful slide away from the top of the La Liga table since Marcelino Garcia Toral was sacked in 2019. Last year Bordalas did make it to the Copa del Rey final, but a ninth-place finish and disagreements with ownership meant an end to his volatile term.
The question will be whether Gattuso can inspire anything different. Combative as a player, his attitude is similar as a manager and is coming into a difficult situation without many funds to shape the squad at Valencia.
