Gattuso Thanks Travelling Supporters, Hails Lazio Veteran: ”We Need Players Like Him”

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The Laziali

·3 August 2026

Gattuso Thanks Travelling Supporters, Hails Lazio Veteran: ”We Need Players Like Him”

Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso was grateful to the supporters who turned up in numbers as the team took on Ascoli in an away friendly fixture.

Lazio Beat Ascoli Away From Home

The Biancocelesti prevailed over their hosts by two goals to one thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s equalizer and a late winner from Petar Ratkov. Nevertheless, the fans in attendance stole the limelight from the action on the pitch, as around 3,000 Lazio supporters found their way into the Stadio Del Duca.

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Lazio Fans Take Over in Ascoli

The club’s orginazed fan groups will continue to boycott the team’s home fixtures this season as part of their protest against Lazio president and owner Claudio Lotito, but promised to follow the team on the road, beginning with the trip to the Marche region.

Gattuso Grateful to Lazio Fans

In his post-match chat with the press (via Il Messaggero), Gattuso expressed his appreciation for the Lazio supporters who flocked to Ascoli despite the scorching heat, but he realizes there’s not much he can do to bring them back to the Stadio Olimpico.

As I said when I was introduced, we’ll honour this shirt. I’m not arrogant enough to say we’ll change people’s minds. It’ll be difficult at home, but the team knows it can’t use that as an excuse. Our supporters are a huge added value, but words won’t change anything. We’ll enjoy having them with us on our 18 away trips, where they’ll back us and make plenty of noise, just as they did today. Then we hope the situation can improve. I want to thank them for turning out in such numbers today. There were 3,000 of them here in this heat, and I can only thank them.

Gattuso Expects at Least Two New Lazio Signings

The Calabrian manager also discussed the club’s market plans. While he’s still awaiting the arrival of a new striker and a centre-back, he reveals he asked the management to avoid making missteps by signing inadequate players.

Let me get ahead of the transfer questions: we know exactly what we need to do, but at the moment the blame is also on me because I asked the club not to make mistakes with the two signings that will arrive. We’ll definitely bring in a striker and a centre-back because we’re a little short in those positions. After that, we’ll see.

Alessio Romagnoli’s Future

Gattuso admits he knows little about Alessio Romagnoli’s fate. The Italian defender was supposed to join Al-Sadd, but the deal collapsed for the second time in six months, this time due to payment issues.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what he’s going to do. All I can say is that Alessio was already my player at Milan, and I was the one who pushed for him to renew his contract there. He’s behaving impeccably, and that’s already important. Then we’ll see what happens.

Gattuso on Injured Lazio Players

The Lazio coach offered the latest updates on his injured players, namely Nuno Tavares, Luca Pellegrini, Danilo Cataldi, and Gustav Isaksen.

Tavares missed half of pre-season because, as you know, he had discomfort in his knee. Pellegrini wasn’t available due to an ankle problem.

Isaksen and Cataldi are both progressing with their recoveries. We’ve set out a schedule through to August 9 and we’ll see if we can reintegrate them into the group by then. Otherwise, we’ll wait a little longer. But we’re pleased.

The Gattuso-Taylor Incident

Gattuso was once again interrogated on the Kenneth Taylor training-ground incident, but he reiterated that the whole episode is now behind them.

The other day you all enjoyed talking about it, but this is just the way I am. Every day is a new day, with no hard feelings. We have a duty to work flat out without complaining about every foul. We need to train as well as possible because we know we’re facing a very difficult season and we have to be ready for it.

Lazio System & Season Objectives

The 2006 World Cup winner also opened up on the tactical system adopted in Ascoli, while revealing his objectives for the new season.

Today we played in a 4-3-3. Taylor pressed alongside Dia because when you play an ultra-aggressive press, you have to go man-to-man. Today you didn’t see the 4-2-3-1.

Maybe not having a clear objective last season wasn’t a positive thing at all. My goal is to give this team a clear identity, beyond the spirit and determination we have to show on the pitch.

Gattuso Backs Petar Ratkov

Gattuso is also pleased with Ratkov, who has been rediscovering his finishing touch in pre-season, but he believes the Serbian striker must find the confidence he lost last season.

He has characteristics that I really like. Last season he didn’t play much and he needs to regain something mentally. These are evaluations that need to be made carefully, but I prefer to talk about the players I have available today. Then we’ll see what happens.

Lazio & Ascoli Fans Twinning?

The Lazio and Ascoli supporters have apparently formed a bond (with the home crowds joining the anti-Lotito choir at one stage), much to Gattuso’s delight.

That makes me happy. At this point in history, with everything that’s happening around the world, I’d like to see scenes like that more often. These are days of celebration. We knew Ascoli were a brave team with a clear identity. I’m sure they’ll do well in Serie B. I have to congratulate their coach because tonight was genuinely a very good match.

Adam Marusic: An Example for Lazio Teammates

Finally, Gattuso reserved special praise for Adam Marusic, who has been tested all over the backline in pre-season, considering him a role model that his teammates should follow.

We’d need a truckload of players like him. When you spend so many years wearing the same shirt you have to be a serious, decent person. Adam, Zaccagni, Rovella and Romagnoli have been helping us enormously, and if the young players here copy and paste what they do, they’ll make very few mistakes and improve tremendously.