AC Milan to confirm Gennaro Gattuso and Leonardo departures
Tuesday 28 May 2019 09:09, UK
AC Milan will announce the departures of manager Gennaro Gattuso and sporting director Leonardo on Tuesday, according to Sky in Italy.
Gattuso had a long meeting with chief executive Ivan Gazidis after Milan narrowly missed out on Champions League football for the sixth successive season, with Atalanta and city rivals Inter pipping them by a point.
The meeting led to a mutual decision for the club and Gattuso to part ways, despite the 41-year-old having two years left on his contract.
Gattuso took over at the San Siro in November 2017 and guided his former club to sixth place, but the Italian could only go one position better this season.
According to Sky in Italy, Gattuso has all but confirmed his departure in quotes attributed to daily newspaper Repubblica.
He said: "It is not easy to decide to leave the Milan bench. It is however a decision I had to make. There has not been a precise moment: it will have been the sum of these 18 months as coach of a team that will never be like the others for me.
"They were unforgettable months that I lived with great passion. My choice is painful, but thoughtful. Do I give up a two-year contract? Yes. My story with Milan can never be a question of money."
Leonardo has also decided to leave Milan due to differences with former Arsenal chief Gazidis over transfer policy.
The Brazilian prefers a mix of young and experienced players in the team, while Gazidis wants to focus on signing young, emerging talents for a low fee to then develop them and make profits from future sales.
Leonardo has already said his goodbyes to his colleagues ahead of his third departure from the club - first as a player, then as head coach, now as sporting director.
Gattuso played 387 times for Milan, winning the Champions League in 2007, but Milan have struggled in recent seasons as Juventus continue to dominate Italian football.
