Gattuso recalls resignation from OFI bench
Gennaro Gattuso has recalled his resignation from the OFI Crete bench following pressure by the club’s fans and administration, one day after his quitting accusing the club and its players of not doing enough.
On Monday the 36-year Italian issued a statement on the OFI website that read: “After long talks with members of the board and the fans of OFI, after the love that the city of Iraklio and the team’s supporters have shown me, I am taking a step back and we are starting this effort from scratch, stronger and more united than ever.”
The former AC Milan and Glasgow Rangers player had announced his resignation in the post-match press conference following the OFI vs Asteras Tripolis game in Iraklio which the visitors won 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Gattuso stated then that “I have put all my passion and all my strength into this team but I cannot be the one solving all the club’s problems every day, I am not the president and my job should only be soccer. I feel very upset but I cannot continue. The players do not believe in me.”
The Italian has already spent a colorful four-and-a-half-months on the OFI bench, during which he was suspended for a game and has already denied once he was about to quit, accusing the press of slander.
After the game against Panathinaikos on October 19, which OFI won 2-1 with an injury-time goal, Gattuso went as far as apologizing to the coach and the fans of Panathinaikos for his own players’ time-wasting tactics and attitude in the game.
OFI currently lies 11nth in the Super League table of 18 teams, with nine points from seven games.
