Gennaro Gattuso, the former AC Milan and Marseille boss, was involved in a heated exchange with pundit Josko Jelicic during a live TV interview following Hajduk Split's recent defeat.
Gattuso's side suffered a 3-0 loss to title rivals Rijeka, which resulted in Rijeka leapfrogging Hajduk into first place with just ten matches remaining. This leaves Hajduk two points behind as they aim to secure their first league title in 20 years. Following the match, an irate Gattuso appeared for a post-match interview on Croatian TV.
Furious spat
During the interview segment, Gattuso clashed with pundit Josko Jelicic - who had previously won the title as a player for Hajduk. The argument escalated quickly and took place in English, Spanish and Italian languages while presenter Valentina Miletic struggled to pacify both parties.
Gattuso refused to shake hands with Jelicic upon arriving at the pitchside desk stating that he talks too much and lacks respect for people.
Gennaro Gattuso, former AC Milan manager, said:
"I don’t shake hands with you as you speak too much. You speak too much and you don't have respect for the people. You played football so you know very well the situation.
"You always speak very bad. I don't have respect for you. You speak very bad."
In response to this accusation, Jelicic retorted that Gattuso played very badly during his time as a player.
Rising tempers
The situation further escalated when an angry Gattuso raised his finger at Jelicic who then demanded respect from him. Despite attempts by both parties to steer the conversation back towards football-related matters, tempers continued flaring between them.
Gattuso ended up refusing any further interaction with Jelicic stating that he would not speak on TV if he was present because of his perceived negative attitude. In response, Jelicic reminded him of his status as a foreigner and urged him to show respect towards everyone present there. Despite this incident overshadowing recent events, it's important to note that Gattuso has been leading the Croatian side since summer and has won 16 of his 33 matches across all competitions after signing a deal through to 2026. His team is currently chasing their sixth league title, and first since 2005, but now sit two points adrift of Rijeka.
The two sides are set to meet for the final time on the penultimate matchday of the season at Stadion Poljud in Split on May 17. Despite having won numerous accolades as a player including the World Cup, two Champions Leagues and a pair of Serie A titles, Gattuso has only lifted silverware once as a coach - with Napoli in 2020 when they clinched the Coppa Italia under his guidance.
While this heated exchange between Gattuso and Jelicic may have momentarily shifted focus away from Hajduk's pursuit of their first league title in over two decades, it serves as a stark reminder that emotions can run high in football - both on and off the pitch.
