AC Milan head Gennaro Gattuso has been in conversation with opposite number Carlo Ancelotti in the build-up to Saturday s trip to Napoli.
Milan face a daunting opening to their Serie A campaign at Stadio San Paolo after last week s scheduled meeting with Genoa was postponed.
Gattuso played under Ancelotti during the latter s celebrated eight-year spell in charge of the Rossoneri between 2001 and 2009, twice winning the Champions League.
It will be a very tough game, Gattuso told a pre-match news conference. I spoke yesterday with Carlo Ancelotti.
Carlo and I have a great relationship. He was more than a coach to me, I would call him during my hardest times. I can only learn from him.
The press says we have different characters but Carlo as a player was a fighter, the last man to surrender.
As a coach he was similar to [the great former Milan boss] Nereo Rocco. He would chat with the players after the training session, stay with them and I have never heard anyone say anything bad about Carlo.
4 Carlo is the only manager to have won the title in four of the top-5 European leagues (ITA, ENG, FRA, GER). Successful.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
Napoli have finished as runners up to Juventus in each of the past two seasons and Ancelotti began his tenure in impressive fashion with a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Lazio last weekend.
Gattuso saw Antonio Conte linked with his post during the close season and, when asked whether Milan could mount a Scudetto bid, he suggested the type of stability Ancelotti brought to San Siro would need to be rediscovered following a turbulent period.
Are we title contenders? I think we still have a long way to go, the 40-year-old said, having received assurances from Milan s owners over his future.
Our goal is to improve the standings of last season and work hard to reach the fourth place.
We need an identity. I don t know how many coaches have been here in the past years, six or seven. It s easier to work when you have continuity.
When you change too often, everything becomes more complicated.
