Filippo Inzaghi has what it takes to be a success in charge of AC Milan, according to his former teammate Gennaro Gattuso, although he has been warned by Juventus boss Antonio Conte about the step up to coaching.
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Inzaghi's expected appointment as replacement for current San Siro coach Clarence Seedorf is yet to be confirmed, although he spent a further two hours in talks with the club's general manager Adriano Galliani on Wednesday.
That followed a four-hour meeting with Galliani and club president Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday night. It is widely expected that the current coach of Milan's youth team will be in charge of first-team affairs next season, with Seedorf sacked after just four months in the job after failing to secure European football for the Rossoneri for the first time in 16 years.
Conte, who played alongside Inzaghi at Juve for four seasons, believes his former teammate is in for a shock.
"Being a player is one thing, being a coach is another," said the 44-year-old who climbed the coaching ladder with Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena before leading Juventus to three straight Serie A titles. "I'm sure he knows this.
"I had the pleasure of playing with Inzaghi, but he also had the pleasure of playing with me -- I did all the running, and he scored the goals," Conte added in an interview with RAI.
Although Inzaghi may be new to coaching, having spent the last two years working with Milan's youth sides, Gattuso believes there are few better prepared for the Rossoneri hotseat than the 40-year-old.
"Inzaghi used to get CDs of the opponents and study them for days on end," Gattuso told Milan Channel. "He knew everything about them. He was obsessed.
"Everybody thought that Pippo was just lucky, but it was all down to skill and preparation. He used to get so angry with the wingers if they didn't send in the right crosses and he would study things meticulously."
Had it not been for Gattuso, however, Inzaghi may never have spent 11 years with Milan.
"Pippo used to steal my boots when we were on national team duty and one day he scored with my boots on, so he never gave them back," the 36-year-old said. "That was the beginning of a great friendship. We used to call each other a lot and he said he wanted to come here, so I told Galliani and he was delighted to buy him."
Filippo may not be the only Inzaghi on the bench of a Serie A side next season either. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, his brother Simone is being considered to replace Edoardo Reja in charge of Lazio.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito is reportedly assessing the future of Reja, whose contract expires this summer, while Inzaghi has enjoyed similar success to his brother in charge of the Biancocelesti's youth team, guiding them to victory in the youth version of the Coppa Italia this season.