Tottenham had moved for Gennaro Gattuso after calling off the deal for Paulo Fonseca but talks have ended following a fan backlash on social media that included the 'No to Gattuso' hashtag
Friday 18 June 2021 13:38, UK
Gennaro Gattuso will not become the new Tottenham head coach following talks regarding the Italian on Thursday.
Spurs had ended negotiations with Paulo Fonseca in order to pursue Gattuso, with new director of football Fabio Paratici a huge fan of the ex-Milan star, seeing him as a more appealing option.
However, following a fan backlash on social media on Thursday night, as the 'No to Gattuso' hashtag trended, plans for the former Italy World Cup-winner will not go any further and Tottenham's protracted search for a new head coach goes on.
Spurs' LGBTQ+ and allies supporters' association, Proud Lilywhites, expressed concern on Thursday night over Gattuso's previous comments about same-sex marriage, while the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust said they were "aware of and acting on" fan worry about the Italian.
Paratici had moved for Gattuso after his deal to Fiorentina broke down over a disagreement about which players they were to sign this summer, just 22 days after agreeing to join.
Fiorentina wanted more affordable additions than those proposed by Gattuso's agent - Jorge Mendes - such as Sergio Oliveira from Porto and Goncalo Guedes from Valencia.
Before Gattuso and Fonseca, Paratici had previously attempted to appoint former Chelsea, Juventus and Italy head coach Antonio Conte, but talks broke down earlier in June.
And - after interest in Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers - the club tried in vain to lure Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino back to north London a year-and-a-half after his sacking.
Paratici will now have to move fast to find Mourinho's long-term successor, with the future of talisman Harry Kane still shrouded in doubt and a priority for the new head of technical affairs at Hotspur Way.
