MILAN, Italy — Former World Cup winner Gennaro Gattuso is reportedly in talks to become the coach of Italian Serie B side Palermo.
Gattuso has agreed to a two-year deal with the Sicilian club but it won’t be made official until he terminates his contract with Swiss club FC Sion, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
Gattuso was promoted to player-coach of Sion in February and under his guidance the team has dropped out of the Europa League spots. Sion is sixth in the 10-team top division entering this week’s final round.
The 35-year-old Gattuso, who won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, has one year remaining on his playing contract. He joined Sion a year ago after 13 seasons with AC Milan.
Palermo was just relegated and for now Giuseppe Sannino remains its manager.
Neither Palermo nor Sion would confirm the report.
“I know that Gennaro is on the list. But I also know that he’s not the only one,” Sion president Christian Constantin was quoted telling Swiss daily 20 Minutes. “If it is confirmed, we will discuss it. In any case, this would be a good thing for Palermo.”
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has made some 35 firings and had 43 different managers in a quarter of a century, first at Venezia from 1987-2002 then at Palermo. This past season alone, he made four coaching changes.
“It’s false news. Every day a new name comes out,” Zamparini said, according to the Gazzetta. “Our coach is still Sannino and I’m not freeing him from his contract.”