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Valencia appoint manager Gattuso on 2-year deal

Valencia, Spain, Jun 9 (EFE).- Italian Gennaro Gattuso was unveiled as Valencia’s new manager on Thursday.

The club said that the former Napoli coach has signed a two-year contract that will keep him at the Mestalla until June 2024.

In a video presented at his unveiling, Gattuso spoke of the club’s history and called for unity after the team finished a disappointing 9th in LaLiga last season.

“For me soccer is passion, respect for the game and love for the ball. I know what it’s like to fear Valencia. I have seen great teams fall at this stadium. Valencianistas, let’s live with passion this season and enjoy Valencia’s DNA together,” he said.

Upon his arrival at Valencia airport on Wednesday, he told reporters that he was “very happy, it’s the first time I’m in Valencia and I’m very happy, very proud. I have signed a contract with a century-old team, with a lot of history and it is an honor.”

“The fans are looking forward to it, I am looking forward to it too (…) and we will work very hard,” he said.

Gattuso started his playing career in Perugia, before moving to Glasgow Rangers and Salernitana. In 1999 he made the leap to Milan, where he spent 13 seasons.

During that time, he became a stalwart member of the Italian national team which won the World Cup in 2006.

Gattuso began his coaching career at Swiss club Sion. He has gone on to coach Palermo, Crete in Greece, Pisa, Milan and Napoli, where he won the Italian Cup.

A year ago he began working at Fiorentina but lasted just 20 days before leaving the club because of disagreements with the board, who complained that all the players he wanted to sign were represented by his own agent, the Portuguese Jorge Mendes. EFE

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