Atlanta’s game left us in a complicated situation: Gattuso

CAIRO – 25 December 2017: Milan’s 2-0 loss from Atalanta in San Siro Stadium has left Milan’s coach, Gennaro Gattuso, in a tough situation. Gattuso’s future as Milan’s coach hangs by a thread, while the sports director, Massimiliano Mirabelli, requested from the team’s fans to be patient.

Milan’s loss moved it closer to hitting rock bottom, as the last defeat, the team’s eighth loss in the league, dropped them to 11th place in the Italian League, Serie A, with 24 points — a place that is considered far behind their goal this season: to qualify to the European Championship.

Also, AC Milan is 16 points behind their rival, Inter Milan, which has been placed third with 40 points.

There have been talks about Gattuso resigning, but he claimed otherwise: “many things didn't work, though at the start we had the right approach. Once we went behind, it turned into an uphill struggle," he admitted to “Mediaset Premium,” an Italian digital television program after the Atlanta defeat.

"It's a complicated situation. The fans are protesting, and we can't think of continuing the season like this. But I don't see people holding back or not trying to give their best. I see people who give their all, but, evidently, we are fragile,” he continued.

Mirabelli showed his support to the team and Gattuso and asked for unity and understanding.

"We can make all the comparisons that we want between the coaches, but the reality is that this project needs time and the team has patience. You have to be worthy of this shirt," the sports director concluded.