Lotito ‘to want’ Ratkov to start as Gattuso pushes back | OneFootball

Lazio are grappling with tension between president Claudio Lotito and head coach Gennaro Gattuso over the underused forward Petar Ratkov.

According to Il Messaggero, Lotito was angered by Gattuso’s Coppa Italia selection in the defeat to Mantova last Sunday, arguing Ratkov should have started instead of the misfiring Boulaye Dia. The coach is said to believe the president should stay out of team selection and focus on recruiting a new centre-forward, as pledged at the start of the summer.

Ratkov, 22, joined in January to replace Taty Castellanos, a move that further strained Lotito’s relationship with Maurizio Sarri, who had claimed he did not know the player. The Serbian soon found himself benched, with Sarri preferring Daniel Maldini and Tijjani Noslin.

Sarri’s exit and Gattuso’s arrival have not altered Ratkov’s status. Despite a bright pre-season, the former RB Salzburg attacker remains on the fringes.

Sporting director Angelo Fabiani, who favours giving Ratkov minutes, is attempting to mediate between Lotito and Gattuso. He took on a similar role during last season’s public spats between Sarri and the owner.

Talk of Gattuso walking away appears wide of the mark. He does not intend to resign, and the hierarchy are not planning a change this early in the campaign.

Source: The Laziali

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”