‘Tottenham managers fell for it and I paid’ – Gennaro Gattuso opens up on rejecting Spurs boss job | The Sun

GENNARO GATTUSO has opened up on how he nearly became Tottenham manager.

The Italian denied claims he rejected taking the Fiorentina job last summer because he had an agreement with Spurs.

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Gennaro Gattuso previously managed Napoli and AC Milan

Credit: EPA

Gattuso suggests the speculation about him declining the La Viola job at the last minute for a move to the Premier League has damaged his reputation.

The 44-year-old Valencia boss said: “Everyone thought I had left Fiorentina because I was already in agreement with Tottenham, but it didn’t happen like that.

“Tottenham came later, then I didn’t go there to work for things that were not true. The Tottenham managers fell for it and I paid.

“When these things happen, it becomes difficult to defend yourself, luckily at Valencia the management supported me.

“Social media can destroy a character or a person and there are many examples: I think of the kids who end up on the internet, they remain labelled for the rest of their lives, due to a small mistake.

“When you have a family and friends who support you on a daily basis, everything goes away, but if you don’t have all of this it’s difficult.”

Last summer, Spurs were in the hunt for a new manager after the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

Gattuso was considered but backlash from fans who were understood to be upset by alleged past comments by him on women in football, same-sex marriage and racism did not help his cause.

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After deals with different candidates didn’t materialise the club ended up with Nuno Espirito Santo.

Chairman Daniel Levy soon sacked him and replaced the ex-Wolves gaffer with Antonio Conte.

The experienced Italian has done an outstanding job since taking over, leading Spurs to Champions League qualification.

And now he is being heavily backed in the transfer market with Tottenham signing six players so far this summer.