Italian football legend reveals 15-year battle with illness

05/10/2026 Italian football legend Gennaro Gattuso has revealed that he has been battling a long-term illness for the past 15 years. The2006 World Cup winnerretired from professional football in 2013, though it has only recently emerged that he was forced to do so.

Gattuso did not specify the autoimmune disease that ended his illustrious playing career, but he admitted that it is 'not easy' to deal with. Gattuso retired from professional football in 2013, though it has only recently emerged that he was forced to do so.

There are people with my illness who stay in bed for four or five months at a time, because they cannot move. 'I accepted the illness, I work on it.

But it takes its toll on me, because taking cortisone every day is not easy. It has been six or seven years since I drank any kind of alcohol.

You keep going until God gives you the strength to carry on. ' Gattuso began his career at Perugia in the 1990s, before starring for Rangers, Salernitana, AC Milan and Sion.

Gattuso did not specify the autoimmune disease that ended his illustrious playing career. Gattuso went on to manage OFI Crete, Pisa, AC Milan, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Marseille and Hajduk Split.

He also took charge of theItaliannational team for 10 months, though he resigned after failing to qualify for the World Cup with a defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The footballer starred for Italy in the 2006 World Cup.

The Italian side are level on points with Serie A leaders Roma, having won four and drawn one of their opening five league games. Gattuso said: 'Before Lazio, I had come from an experience that cost me and hurt me.

The national team was an incredible blow. I wanted to start again immediately.