Greek Club Such A Disaster, Manager Quits For Second Time This Season

OFI Crete manager Gennaro Gattuso has come to realize that it's kind of hard to motivate yourself and your players when the club refuses to pay salaries, makes you pay certain club expenses, and constantly finds new creditors they owe money to, leading to possible transfer bans and point deductions. So for the second time this year, he's decided to bounce.

In today's resignation letter given to the Greek media, Gattuso lays out many of the problems that make his position untenable. It's mainly down to money issues, which makes sense since it's hard to tell anybody what to do when they aren't seeing a paycheck anyway:

I'm so sorry for the people of Crete, who don't deserve this and to the island where I was happy with my family and staff.

I fought with all my might for OFI, sparing no effort, even in an economic sense: not only did I not receive all my wages, but I paid certain club expenses out of my own pocket.

However, that's not the point, I'm used to fighting, as evidenced by all of my sporting career, and fighting for the shirt has always been a belief of mine which I intend to transmit to the players I coach.

Unfortunately this time I had to surrender, the current situation is beyond my strength. To stay, without any real prospect of avoiding corporate and sporting disaster would be undignified and disrespectful, especially to the people of Crete.

I thank them, as well as those directors, staff and players who supported me in a battle which lasted six months.

I was forced to play a variety of roles, without being able to dedicate myself exclusively to coaching, a task for which I was hired in July by the then President, Mr. Manthos Poulinakis, and which I had accepted with an enthusiasm that never failed.

Last Monday I found only half the team at the training camp, and other footballers trying to beat cash out of me.

At this point I realised my efforts really were in vain. I hope OFI and their fans have a more peaceful future and the best success.

Doesn't sound like he'll be changing his mind this time, which is a shame. We would've liked another shouty, table-slapping press conference, for old time's sake.

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