I’m Not A Great Coach – Gattuso

AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso refused to take all the credit for his side’s resurgence after guiding them to the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday.

“I’m not a great coach,” he said. “I’ve had to cut my teeth and I’ve still got to learn a lot.

“A lot’s been said over the past 20 days about me being a guru, but I’m not. I’ve still got to take lots of hits.

“I’ve never been gifted anything in these years. I’ve won a league at youth level, had some very difficult experiences abroad — you don’t learn from tactics books, you learn through setbacks.

“So I’m not a guru, it’s still very difficult. I feel a lucky man who, at 40, has been given a great opportunity and is taking it. But I have no fear of going back to Gallarate to coach the youngsters next year.

“I like this job. I’m living a dream these days and if I continue, great — but I want to stay here because this is my home.”

Gattuso was also quick to praise predecessor Vincenzo Montella.

“Believe me, you’ve got to give a bit of credit to Montella because the concepts of the way we play, in always going to try to find more space, are his — I’ve only modified a few things, but our movements are the same,” he said.

“Certainly this has helped me a lot. Now we are getting at our opponents more and we like to get the ball forward and I think some of the credit has got to go to Montella for this.

“We need to get back to being a side who gives emotions to the fans, and I think we’re heading that way.”