Big-spending AC Milan sacked coach Vincenzo Montella on Monday and replaced him with their fiery former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.
Montella was dismissed the day after a 0-0 home draw with Torino left Milan, which spent more than €200 million (US$239 million) on transfers in the close season, seventh in Serie A with 20 points from 14 games, 18 behind leader Napoli.
The famously combative Gattuso, a World Cup winner in 2006, became Milan's sixth coach since Massimiliano Allegri was fired in January, 2014.
Montella, the first coach to go since former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sold the club to a Chinese-led consortium in a 740 million-euro deal in April, had been in charge since the start of last season when he led Milan to sixth place in Serie A.
"In these situations, the coach is always to blame and that's fair enough," Montella told reporters as he left Milan's training ground.
"Expectation were raised a bit too high by everyone in the summer (...). I'm very sorry because I know that the players were behind me. They deserve much more and I'm sure they will make it out of this difficult phase."
Gattiso, 39, spent 12 seasons playing for Milan, winning two Serie A and two Champions League titles plus the Club World Cup, and was known as one of Italy's toughest players.
His coaching career has been a mixed bag, although never dull.
Reuters/Basel
Montella was dismissed the day after a 0-0 home draw with Torino left Milan, which spent more than €200 million (US$239 million) on transfers in the close season, seventh in Serie A with 20 points from 14 games, 18 behind leader Napoli.
The famously combative Gattuso, a World Cup winner in 2006, became Milan's sixth coach since Massimiliano Allegri was fired in January, 2014.
Montella, the first coach to go since former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sold the club to a Chinese-led consortium in a 740 million-euro deal in April, had been in charge since the start of last season when he led Milan to sixth place in Serie A.
"In these situations, the coach is always to blame and that's fair enough," Montella told reporters as he left Milan's training ground.
"Expectation were raised a bit too high by everyone in the summer (...). I'm very sorry because I know that the players were behind me. They deserve much more and I'm sure they will make it out of this difficult phase."
Gattiso, 39, spent 12 seasons playing for Milan, winning two Serie A and two Champions League titles plus the Club World Cup, and was known as one of Italy's toughest players.
His coaching career has been a mixed bag, although never dull.
Reuters/Basel
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