Gennaro Gattuso has placed Lazio’s early-season position in its proper perspective: the table matters less than the work still to be done. With both Lazio and Roma at the top after five rounds for the first time since 1972-73, the coach has refused to let the coming derby become a distraction while his side prepare for Monza.
A city waiting, but Monza comes first
The capital’s two clubs have made a fast start, yet Gattuso insists that finishing above Roma is not an objective in itself. “Being ahead of Roma means nothing,” he said, stressing that there are important matches before the derby enters his thinking.
- Gattuso said he stops players, kit staff and physiotherapists when derby talk begins too early. His message is that Lazio must deal with the immediate fixtures before turning to the meeting with Roma.
- The next assignment is Monza, a side he described as playing at great speed. Lazio are returning from what he called an unusual international break and the coach is waiting for every player to come back before finalising preparations.
- Gattuso also recalled difficult past meetings with Ivan Juric, particularly Napoli’s defeat to Verona, when a win would have taken his team second but the eventual outcome left them fifth.
He also repeated how much Lazio feel the absence of a full Olimpico. For Gattuso, football without supporters loses an essential part of its meaning, and he said the squad are suffering without that presence around them.
Gasperini respect and a proposed dinner
Although Gattuso and Gian Piero Gasperini are often seen as contrasting personalities, the Lazio coach believes they share more than appearances suggest. Gasperini had spoken of meeting him for dinner away from the pressures of the derby, and Gattuso accepted the invitation warmly.
“It would be an honour,” Gattuso said. He placed Gasperini among the coaches who changed Italian football after Arrigo Sacchi, and recalled receiving encouragement from him during his time at Milan. Gasperini had urged him to keep going and told him he appreciated the way his team played.
Gattuso described both men as strong characters, but the respect is longstanding. Their proposed dinner can wait for a quieter moment; the championship will supply enough arguments before then.
Lotito, Formello and the management of a squad
The Lazio coach dismissed the idea that he is in constant conflict with president Claudio Lotito. He said he rarely argues as a coach, preferring direct discussion when daily matters inside the club are not working.
Gattuso called Lotito “a genius”, while acknowledging that squad dynamics can create issues which must be addressed early rather than allowed to grow. He praised the principle of speaking openly to players instead of making comments elsewhere, suggesting that this has reduced the risk of off-camera controversy.
His decision to take the Lazio job followed previous refusals. Gattuso said he had turned Lotito down two or three times, but accepted when he felt the team was in difficulty and believed the players could give him something important.
- The squad began positively under the new coach.
- A training camp at Formello took place in extreme heat and was particularly demanding.
- The experience strengthened Gattuso’s sense that there is something special within the group.
Frattesi and Nuno Tavares
Gattuso identified Davide Frattesi as a player who must embrace responsibility. Lazio had limited room to manoeuvre in the market, he said, making the midfielder’s choice to join the club especially significant.
On Nuno Tavares, Gattuso offered unusually high praise, saying that only Nuno Mendes is at a comparable level. There were tense moments at the beginning, not solely involving the Portuguese defender, but the coach made clear that talent brings obligations.
Gattuso said he cannot accept gifted players wasting their ability. His own path was different: he considered himself less naturally talented than others and had to build his career through other means.
Italy regret and a personal perspective
Gattuso also reflected on Italy, Bosnia and the World Cup disappointment that still troubles him. He described the national-team setback as a heavy blow and said he wanted to begin again immediately. The match against Bosnia, and Alessandro Bastoni’s dismissal, remain painful memories.
He said decisive moments shape football matches and thanked Bastoni, regarding the red card as part of the game rather than a grievance. In the immediate aftermath, Gattuso found it difficult even to sleep and initially could not bring himself to watch the World Cup.
Beyond football, he spoke candidly about loss, illness and the point at which he will leave the touchline. Gattuso said he would give everything he has to spend more time with his late sister. He revealed that illness left him in bed for four or five months, that he has avoided alcohol for six or seven years, and that daily cortisone injections are part of his routine.
He will stop coaching, he said, when football no longer gives him emotion. Until then, Lazio’s season is being built one fixture at a time. In the longer view, he hopes to become a grandfather and devote himself to his grandchildren.
