A month earlier, no one would have imagined writing such a story. Gennaro Gattuso arrived in Rome with enormous pressure on his shoulders, just a few months after the trauma experienced with the Italian team, eliminated by Bosnia-Herzegovina in the race for the 2026 World Cup. The former midfielder then agreed to take over a Lazio that was particularly difficult to rebuild, in an environment marked by a massive protest against Claudio Lotito and above all by heavy economic constraints. The club had been placed under surveillance after checks by the Independent Commission responsible for the expanded labor cost index, an indicator which relates expenses linked to sports personnel to company revenues. Lazio having not respected the required parameter, it had to operate according to the principle of the zero-balance market, with the obligation to generate equivalent revenues before being able to register new recruits. A situation which had considerably reduced Angelo Fabiani’s room for maneuver and which had long given the impression that Gattuso was going to have to work miracles with a largely incomplete group.
The start of the adventure seemed to confirm all the fears. The transfer window was moving slowly, the avenues were closing one after the other and Lazio had to sell before being able to buy, while the supporters continued their historic boycott to protest against Lotito’s management. Then came the absolute fiasco of the Coppa Italia. Just a few months after playing in the final of the competition, the Biancocelesti were eliminated in the round of 32 by Mantua, a resident of Serie B, on their own lawn. A 0-2 conceded in an almost empty Olimpico, with only 5,528 spectators, which immediately placed Gattuso at the heart of criticism. The technician had assumed his responsibilities after this humiliation, recognizing that this elimination still hurt him. Lazio then seemed destined for a particularly difficult season, with an already weakened coach, an incomplete squad and a management facing a deep crisis with its own popular base.
Best start to season since 2012
And yet, Gattuso completely bucked the trend. His pressure, his demands and above all his daily work ended up pushing the club to accelerate in the last days of the transfer window, with a series of operations carried out at very controlled costs. Frattesi arrived from Inter on a paid loan, Pinamonti landed from Sassuolo for 3 million euros, Sutalo joined Roma from Ajax on a 3 million loan deal, while Gudmundsson was picked up on a free loan from Fiorentina. Doekhi and Pedraza had already arrived free, completing a recruitment that was ultimately much more consistent than what the first weeks suggested. In total, Lazio only spent around 11 million euros in immediate costs on these main operations, while maintaining a positive balance thanks to the sales made during the summer around Mario Gila, Alessandro Romagnoli and even Ivan Provedel.
A transfer window cobbled together under constraint, but which ultimately gave Gattuso the weapons necessary to build something. During this time, the supporters’ revolt has absolutely not disappeared. Barely more than 2,000 subscriptions were renewed during the first phase of the campaign, compared to nearly 30,000 a year earlier, while boycotts, banners hostile to Lotito and deserted stands continue. Fans even recently rejected Fabiani’s call for a truce, while repeating that they would continue to support the former Milan midfielder and his players during travels. In this noxious atmosphere, Gattuso is nevertheless achieving exactly what was expected of him. Lazio won its first three days of Serie A, with a success (0-1) in Bologna, another (1-0) against Genoa then a victory (1-2) snatched in Udine against Udinese after being behind by the score. Gattuso on Monday evening became the first Lazio coach to start with three league victories since Petkovic in 2012/13.
“I want to congratulate the guys, but we have to keep working. The team showed mentality and desire. We questioned everything to try something different, but it’s not easy. However, we have not yet accomplished anything. After the defeat in the Italian Cup, we reacted well. We must continue this momentum and approach each match one after the other“, declared the Italian coach. Nine points out of nine, four goals scored and only one conceded, with an ability to never give up that looks terribly like his coach. In Udine, Davide Frattesi struck again before Albert Gudmundsson, newly arrived, delivered his own at the end of the match, further proof that the recruits have already taken an essential place in the project. Gattuso is now the sole judge of this metamorphosis, he who still refused to talk about revenge after Mantua but recognized that his team had been able to react. While Lotito remains contested, the Olimpico remains largely deserted and the scars of the summer are still gaping, Lazio are at the top of the rankings. A month after having seemed to be heading straight towards the fiasco, Gattuso is now getting absolutely everyone to agree.
