Lotito Takes Credit for Gattuso Choice: “We Have the Same Character”

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The Laziali

·28 September 2026

Lotito Takes Credit for Gattuso Choice: “We Have the Same Character”

Lazio president Claudio Lotito claims he was personally behind the appointment of Gennaro Gattuso as head coach.

Lazio Replaced Maurizio Sarri With Gennaro Gattuso

The club patron spent the previous campaign trading barbs in public with Maurizio Sarri. Hence, the latter’s departure at the end of the season was inevitable. However, the club’s decision to hire Gattuso took many by surprise, especially with the Calabrian coming from a devastating experience with the Italian national team, ending in a failure to qualify for the World Cup.

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Gennaro Gattuso (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Nevertheless, the 48-year-old has been enjoying a stellar start to his Lazio tenure. Although he had a disastrous debut against Mantova in the Coppa Italia, Gattuso has thus far guided the team to four wins and a draw in the first five Serie A matchdays. The Biancocelesti currently share the top spot with Inter Milan and Roma.

Claudio Lotito Thinks He & Gattuso Are Alike

In his interview with Stretto Web TV (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Lotito insisted Gattuso was a personal choice of his, as the head coach reminds him of himself in terms of character and values.

Gattuso’s appointment was a choice I made, a carefully considered choice, because I wanted someone who would reflect my character. In fact, we have the same character: combative and determined, never submissive. In other words, we fight until the very end. So I’m experiencing it with a great deal of humility, because remember that objectives are achieved with humility, while being aware that you have the potential to accomplish things.

Lotito Wants to Change The Rules to Maintain Lazio & Reggina

Lotito, who recently acquired Reggina, attended the club’s recent win in Serie D. If the Calabrians earn promotion to Serie C, the 69-year-old will be forced to choose between them and Lazio, as the current rules prevent the same person or entity from owning two professional clubs. Nevertheless, the Italian senator reiterated his desire to change the law so he can keep hold of both clubs.

Never say never when it comes to these things. I’m used to working step by step. What I mean is that, as things progress, we now have to consider that it’s still the end of September, and 20 days into August nobody imagined that we would be able to put this team together, because it takes time.

Lotito Cites Lazio & Salernitana Success Stories

Although the organised Lazio supporters have long been protesting against Lotito’s administration, the patron has once again bragged about his financial exploits after buying a club that was heading towards bankruptcy.

I’m someone who has demonstrated in football that I can be in a position to deliver results. I did it at Lazio because, as you know, I took over a club that had a turnover of €84 million, was losing €86.5 million and had €550 million in debt. Today, it’s a highly capitalised club, it’s building a stadium, it’s building an academy, it has won six trophies and so on. And I took over Salernitana in Eccellenza, had them promoted to Serie D, and then they won the Serie D championship, the Serie C2 championship, the Lega Super Cup, Serie C1—everything, every year, all the way to Serie B, until I eventually took them to Serie A and was then forced to sell them. So, we want Reggio to have that pride in its sense of belonging and also the satisfaction of having someone take responsibility for that pride and turn it into concrete actions and results.