Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli departure looked to be a foregone conclusion — but one defeat in four Serie A matches has transformed the ex-AC Milan midfielder into a man in demand. 

Wolves and Fiorentina are reportedly keen on the Partenopei boss who, until a few weeks ago, was under mounting pressure with critics even slating his fish restaurant in online reviews. 

Ahead of tonight’s showdown with his former club AC Milan, which you can watch for FREE on the LiveScore app, we run the rule over Gattuso’s coaching career to understand why the fiery former midfielder is coveted elsewhere. 

Success in Naples 

It has been less than a year since Gattuso (pictured above) was the toast of Naples, having beaten Juventus on penalties in last season’s Coppa Italia final to secure the club's first success in the competition for six years. 

Winning silverware was a remarkable achievement considering the fraught relationship between the players and president Aurelio De Laurentiis prior to the 43-year-old's arrival in December 2019. 

De Laurentiis was effusive in his praise for the former Milan coach after that victory. 

He said: "Since Rino arrived, many things changed here and everyone came together around him, around the club, around the idea of Napoli." 

The basics 

Gattuso’s big success in his first season was making the Neapolitans harder to beat. 

Under Carlo Ancelotti, they had been conceding chances worth 1.33 expected goals against per 90 minutes. 

Gattuso cut that figure to just 1.1 by the end of the campaign — giving his side the second-best defensive record in Serie A in that time. 

His Milan were also tough to break down, boasting the league’s third-best backline and conceding just 36 times despite finishing fifth. 

From averaging 480 completed passes per 90 minutes under Ancelotti, Napoli posted 564 per 90 over the remainder of the season — more than anyone else in Serie A. 

By putting a greater emphasis on ball retention, Gattuso’s Napoli simply denied their opponents chances to score. 

Striker whisperer 

As well as making his teams harder to beat, another feature of Gattuso’s coaching career to date has been getting the maximum from his forwards. 

Krzysztof Piatek was the beneficiary at the San Siro in 2018-19, hitting 11 in all competitions from just 21 appearances after signing from Genoa.

It was form the Polish hitman never managed to repeat after Gattuso left the club. 

Gattuso also coaxed the very best from Napoli’s rich array of attacking talent, with Dries Mertens (16), Lorenzo Insigne (13) and Arkadiusz Milik (14) all hitting double figures in his first season with the club. 

What next? 

Having turned the corner in recent weeks, it is unclear whether Gattuso will even be on the market this summer. 

But the fact Fiorentina and Wolves are both credited with an interest suggests he has done plenty of good in two high-profile — if very challenging — Serie A coaching roles. 

The Fiorentina job is the more likely to be available, with La Viola currently sat just six points above the relegation zone. 

In fact, Porto coach Sergio Conceicao is also being touted as a potential replacement for former Italy boss Cesare Prandelli, who is currently in situ in Florence. 

But Gattuso walked away from Milan in 2019 as a matter of principle, refusing the compensation he was due in order to protect the club’s fragile financial position. 

If he elects to take a similarly principled decision this summer, you can be sure there will be a demand for his services.

Watch AC Milan vs Napoli live for FREE on the LiveScore app this evening at 7.45pm (UK and Ireland only).