Rino Gattuso’s first months at Lazio have given him a constructive way forward after the disappointment of Italy missing the World Cup. Speaking in Rome at the 12th Giuseppe Colalucci Award, the Biancocelesti coach reflected on a career shaped by narrow margins, while turning his attention to Lazio, Roberto Mancini’s Italy and the changing rhythm of Serie A.
Gattuso looks forward after Italy disappointment
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Gattuso said he does not regard his recent experience with the national side as a chance for revenge. Football, he argued, is decided by moments, and his own career has repeatedly been defined by them.
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He recalled missing Champions League qualification with Napoli despite finishing on 77 points, and falling short by a single point while in charge of Milan. He also referred to the significance of Inter-Empoli in that Milan campaign.
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With Italy, Gattuso pointed to elimination on penalties after his side had created two or three scoring opportunities despite playing with ten men.
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He contrasted those setbacks with his playing career, when he felt he had won matches and trophies that his teams had not always deserved. At 48, he said he still sees himself as young enough to build on substantial coaching experience rather than dwell on what has passed.
“There is no need to cry or look behind,” Gattuso said. “The only direction is forward.”
Confidence in Mancini’s Italy
Gattuso also offered a positive assessment of the Italy team now led by Roberto Mancini, his successor in the Azzurri role. In his view, the squad has the required talent, but that quality must be made useful to the whole group rather than exist as an individual asset.
He said Italy have strong players and praised Mancini’s work in creating a side with desire whenever it takes the field. Gattuso noted that the reaction after the opening match had been severe, but felt the coach had quickly changed the public mood through his response.
A league changing on the pitch
For Gattuso, the wider Italian game is also moving in a more attractive direction. He believes matches have become more entertaining and that referees are stopping play less often.
Yet he identified stadiums as the area where Italian football still has work to do. Better grounds, he said, are needed to bring more supporters back into the stands and restore the match-going atmosphere around the league.
Life at Lazio and in Rome
The early Lazio season has helped Gattuso settle after the national-team setback, although his routine has left little time to enjoy his new city. He said he likes Rome, describing it as an open-air museum of remarkable beauty, but admitted that he has mostly come to know Formello, Lazio’s training base.
Gattuso expects that pattern to continue as he spends most of his time at the club with his staff. His wife, however, has been able to explore the capital and is enjoying it; the coach hopes he will eventually have the chance to discover more of Rome himself.
