Zenit have appointed Gennaro Gattuso as manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The former Sion and OFI Crete manager replaces Villas Boas, who resigned before the pre-season had even got underway, citing personal reasons.

The one-time Milan and Italy defender has been appointed knowing he commands respect in the dressing room and will look to gain control of some of the 'bigger' egos.

The Zenit chairman, Alexander Dyukov, told the club website: “Gennaro has an excellent record in coaching and management. He’s hugely respected, both nationally and internationally, and he has great contacts within the game.
“He is someone who has a real wealth of experience in football, from years at Milan as a player, and his coaching roles at Crete and Sion,“Gennaro is also a manager who has a track record for developing talent at all levels from academy upwards and will embrace the work we’ve been doing at the club in this area in recent seasons.

“Importantly, we also felt Gennaro is someone who can improve our immediate situation, while also having the management credentials and skills to plan our long-term future, and help us to get back to progressing in the way we have in previous seasons.”

“I’m thrilled to be back in management and Zenit is a fantastic club, with a first-class infrastructure both in footballing and business terms,” Gattuso said.
“We’ve got one very obvious initial challenge and I am aiming to hit the ground running but I am confident with the resources at the club we can succeed in retain our hope in claiming many trophies in domestic level.

“Once that is achieved we can work towards getting the club back challenging at the top end of European football.”

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Gennaro Gatuso made signing Adam Maher an immediate priority after the Zenit manager caught wind of Liverpool's interest in the forward.
News broke on Thursday that PSV Eindhoven had agreed a fee with Zenit that would see the 21-year-old complete a transfer to the Russian Premier League when the transfer window reopens in June. Both PSG and Liverpool were also linked – though Brendan Rodgers has since said that the Reds were never in the hunt – but the news that Zenit had completed the deal certainly came out of the blue.

Speaking for the first time since completing the deal, which is thought to be in the region of $17m, Gattuso revealed his intentions behind the deal.

"I was forced to handle [the situation] as a manager because, otherwise, he was going to Liverpool, that's why I had to sign him and we've done it within one day,” Gattuso told the club’s television channel ZTV.

"I want to do this [make signings] early but it's not always possible," he added. "When there's a chance, to you have handle that and manage it directly and that was the case."
The club are expected to follow up interest in Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopolous and Nice Striker Neal Maupay with official bids for the pair, with the French youth international expected to decide on his future by the end of next week.

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Gennaro Gattuso insists Zenit will not be involved in a title battle with CSKA Moscow and Dinamo Moscow this season - because he believes his side will win it.

"I have great belief in them [the players] and I think this season we can start day one and we can say without any kind of fears that we are there not to fight for the title, to win it," Gattuso said.
"It's good to be back but it's not good to finish first and then disappoint the following season. I'm happy with the evolution, but I'm not happy with one title. This season we want to do better than we did. We have to do better, I have to do better, the players have to do better."

While Gattuso remains intent on strengthening his side this summer, the Italian wants to see more from his players in the coming weeks.

Earlier in May, Gattuso issued a stark warning to Zenit's stars and called on them to improve this season or leave the club. In particular, Hulks's commitment was criticised and, while being one of the top players at the club, Gattuso told the Brazilian: "we want more from you."

Zenit, who have changed their transfer policy to reflect Financial Fair Play rules, look set for an overhaul with Gattuso understood to be targeting a new central midfielder, central defender and striker this summer.