Gennaro Gattuso is set for his first official engagement as Head Coach in Slovakia, where he won the Euros with the U21s 25 years ago. Gattuso will attend the Azzurrini’s quarter-final clash against Germany, which will kick off at 21:00 CEST on Sunday 22 June at the Dac Arena in Dunajska Streda.

The newly appointed head coach – along with FIGC General Secretary Marco Brunelli and National Team Delegation Head Gianluigi Buffon – will meet with coach Carmine Nunziata, his staff and the players at the team hotel before watching the match against Germany from the stands.

GATTUSO AND THE UNDER-21S. Gennaro Gattuso won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship on 4 June 2000, when Italy defeated Czechia 2–1 in the final in Bratislava thanks to a brace from Andrea Pirlo (the fourth of the Azzurrini’s five Euro titles).

The Azzurri Head Coach played in every single match on the road to victory, including during qualifying. Three months later, he was also part of the Olympic squad that took part in the Sydney Games, where Italy were eliminated by Spain (1–0) in the quarter-finals. Gattuso earned 21 caps for the Under-21s, making his debut on 25 March 1998 in a 1-0 friendly victory over Malta in Valletta. He scored his one and only goal at this level in a friendly against Scotland in Castel di Sangro on 23 May 1998.