Gattuso comments on Tottenham and Fiorentina issues

appointed

Gennaro Gattuso

as their new coach in May, but he departed the club after only 23 days as he did not agree with the way the Tuscans managed the team.

As per reports, the 43-year-old and his agent

Jorge Mendes

disagreed with Fiorentina’s transfer strategies, so they decided to go their separate ways.

However, in an interview with

La Repubblica

newspaper, Gattuso revealed that Mendes is ‘just a friend’ and not his representative and admitted that he will not reveal the reason behind his departure from La Viola.

“

He [Mendes] is a friend. He has great experience and gives me advice for my career. I always respect roles: the transfer market is not up to me, but to directors,”

Gattuso said.

“I am an ambitious coach and I want strong and functional players to the team. Regardless of who their agent is.”

Fiorentina were not pleased with Mendes’ commission demand to sign Sergio Oliveira from Porto, despite being the highest spenders when it comes to agents’ commissions.

“I can’t talk about this and I repeat he [Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso] is a person I’ve never met.”

Commisso admitted that both parties were unable to talk about the details as they were confidential and mentioned in their agreement.

The Former Napoli coach had joined Fiorentina after a one-and-a-half-year spell with the Partenopei and started talks with

after parting ways with La Viola.

“

I’m proud to have coached a great team in a big city like Naples. In a season with problems and injuries, we missed out on a Champions League spot by one point, with often spectacular matches,”

he said.

However, the Spurs did not agree to appoint the Italian tactician because of the statements Gattuso made before, which were considered racist and sexist, but the 43-year-old denied it.

“I find it hard to believe that this was the reason, at most it may have remained in their minds the image of myself fighting with Joe Jordan in 2011.

“Surely I am neither racist, nor sexist, nor homophobic: old statements of mine have been misrepresented.

“Why don’t you ask my former teammates and the players I coached about my relationship with them? I can’t lose time with silly things, but my experience can teach something.

“Hate on social media is dangerous and very underrated. I am a public figure and I have the strength to react, but not everyone can bear it.

“There are those who may throw themselves out of the window because they are weaker. It is a serious problem: why is nobody doing something about it?

“I don’t live in the past, I have daughters who use social media, I just don’t understand exhibitionism. Why should I post a picture if I am on a boat trip with my family or at the restaurant?

“I want to tell the youths to live their life, not the ones of others.”

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