Gennaro Gattuso was linked with Premier League duo Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in and has now been sacked by Valencia following a disastrous run of form, via The Athletic.
For what feels like the billionth time in the last 15 years, the craggy, characterful face of Voro will be pushing his team on from the sidelines during Thursday night’s trip to La Liga champions Real Madrid.
Since 2008, Voro has taken charge of Valencia – either on an interim or permanent basis – on a staggering eight occasions. He stepped in for Ronald Koeman, Nuno Espirito Santo, Cesare Prandelli and Javi Gracia, amongst others.
Now, following a run of three defeats in four league games, Voro finds himself back in familiar surroundings; Gattuso became the latest victim of Peter Lim’s trigger-happy regime.
Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur looked at Gennaro Gattuso
According to Calciomercato, the firebrand former Italy international was a leading candidate to replace Steve Bruce at Newcastle prior to be transformative appointment of Eddie Howe.
Gattuso came within touching distance of taking over at Spurs too. Only a very public show of dissatisfaction from the Tottenham supporters convinced Daniel Levy to look elsewhere.
Now, the 2006 World Cup winner departs Valencia just one point off the La Liga relegation zone.
“(Appointing Gattuso) rankled with me. (Predecessor) Jose Bordalas, last season, went underappreciated,” Spanish football expert Terry Gibson tells El Tel and Jon’s La Liga weekly.
“They’re sliding. In the first half of the season, people were waxing lyrical about Gattuso’s Valencia team, and I wasn’t convinced. He was supposed to be different and better than Bordalas. But I wasn’t convinced that was the case.
“There were signs (of improvements). But they still weren’t winning the points a Valencia team should. And now, they’re on this slippery run of form which has led them to drop.
“Next week, they could be in the bottom three. It’s the same formation every week, the same players, and we’re getting the same outcome.”
Gattuso, not so long ago, was seen as one of Europe’s most promising young tacticians; taking a troubled Milan side to the brink of Champions League qualification before winning a Coppa Italia with Napoli.
And while he should not take all the blame for Valencia’s decline – a lack of serious backing from a highly-unpopular board didn’t help his cause – Gattuso now becomes the latest in a long line of talented head coaches with a Los Che-shaped blot on his managerial copybook.
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