Gattuso Worried About Tavares, Opens First-Team Door to Young Lazio Duo

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The Laziali

·20 juillet 2026

Gattuso Worried About Tavares, Opens First-Team Door to Young Lazio Duo

Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso provided some updates on the squad following his first match in charge.

Lazio Beat Lazio U20 on Monday

The Aquile began their pre-season camp a week ago, and on Monday, they played their first friendly of the season, taking on Lazio’s Primavera squad behind closed doors at Formello. While the U20 took a surprising lead just before half-time, the seniors retaliated after the break, securing a 3-1 win.

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Gennaro Gattuso Pleased With Lazio Preparations

After the contest, Gattuso spoke to the club’s official channels (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), expressing his satisfaction with the workload his men have been putting in since the start of the camp.

We have to congratulate the lads, because they’ve worked hard and had a really good week. We knew we might struggle a bit, but we still did a lot of good things. At this stage, the pitch feels enormous for every team, but we know that’s normal. Hats off to the players for the way they’ve conducted themselves and for everything they’ve done. It’s been extremely hot, but they’ve handled it well. They never gave up, and we’ve done well to avoid losing many players to injuries. Credit also goes to them for reporting back in good condition. I think we have to keep going down this path. We know there’s still a lot we need to improve, but the spirit, mentality and desire have all been there.

Gattuso Admires Maurizio Sarri’s Work

The Calabrian boss also paid tribute to his predecessor, Maurizio Sarri, who kept the team united throughout the previous campaign, despite all the challenges they faced on and off the pitch.

If we look back at last season, a lot of the credit goes to the coach and the players. Considering everything that happened last year—the atmosphere around the club, the injuries—the team never fell apart and always stayed united. That’s what I expected. I knew I was coming into a group of players who are eager to work and enjoy being together. Naturally, there are plenty of areas where we need to improve, but I was aware I’d be finding a squad with a strong mentality. That’s the foundation we have to start from.

Gattuso Concerned About Nuno Tavares

Lazio were missing several important players, but Nuno Tavares is giving Gattuso the biggest headache, as he’s struggling with a knee condition.

[Nicolo] Rovella had a fever for two or three days, so we did everything we could to keep him away from the rest of the squad. Today he completed a very important training session, although he missed three days of work. As for him and the other players you didn’t see on the pitch, Nuno is the one we’re most concerned about because he has inflammation in his knee. The others were simply kept out as a precaution so we wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks. We’re pleased with how we’ve managed the players, together with my coaching staff and the medical staff. When we resume on Wednesday, we hope to have most of them back on the pitch.

Could Artistico & Galassi Remain with Lazio First Team?

Gattuso reserved particular praise for Gabriele Artistico, who scored twice from the spot after entering the pitch in the second half. The 23-year-old has been linked with an exit, but the Lazio manager didn’t rule out his stay. The same goes for 19-year-old midfielder Bruno Galassi, who joined this summer from Real Madrid and was in the starting lineup with the seniors on Monday.

” like Artistico. He’s got the right spirit and had a good season in Serie B. I like his humility and the way he works. We’ll see [if he stays]. Galassi is a 2007-born player and still has plenty of room for improvement. He needs to build up physically.

Gattuso on Pedraza, Mandas & Motta

The Italy boss is also pleased with Alfonso Pedraza’s swift settlement following his move from Villarreal, while opening up on his two main goalkeepers, Christos Mandas and Edoardo Motta.

Pedraza looks as though he’s been here for years already. He’s already joking around and has settled in well with his teammates. He has a minor muscular issue, but it’s nothing serious. He comes from an important club and league, we know what he can offer us and we’re happy with him. Mandas has experience, while Motta has a very bright future. Like everyone else, they have to keep working. That’s why we’re here, but we’re starting from a good position in goal.