Gattuso wary of long break at Lazio: ‘The adrenaline drops, we can’t let the temperature fall’
ROME, ITALY - AUGUST 04: SS Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso during the SS Lazio training session at Formello Sport Centre on August 04, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)
Gennaro Gattuso used a 2-0 friendly win over Arezzo to experiment during the international break, and deflected praise for Lazio’s record start onto his squad.
Speaking to the club’s official channels, the coach explained the decision to pair Andrea Pinamonti and Tijjani Noslin in attack.
“It’s one solution, you have to try everything,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.
“We’d come off two days of important work. We were good in terms of desire and mentality, which must never be lacking. It never has been and I hope it never will be, if we are where we are, it’s because there’s a willingness to work and to suffer.”
He also singled out the academy players who featured. “These friendlies are important but a match is a match. Compliments also to the Primavera lads who came on. In defence we have four centre-backs who work seriously, with humility and desire, and now it’s up to me to make as few mistakes as possible.”
Gattuso wary of the break after Lazio momentum built
Lazio are joint top with 13 points from five games, their best ever start to a Serie A season, but Gattuso is uneasy about the length of the shutdown.
“I lived through it at Valencia, when the World Cup was in December. I have to tell you it was strange, different. When you’re inactive for 20 days the adrenaline drops, and we have to be good at not letting the temperature fall,” he said. “It was right that they rested, today the result didn’t interest me. We managed the lads’ minutes. It’s strange and we hope not to pay the price.”
Asked about the praise coming his way for the opening weeks, he pushed it back. “The compliments have to go to the players. The Mantova game was a surprise even for us. We saw first-hand that if we want to do certain things there’s no middle ground, because we’ve already paid the price. The team arrives here with a smile, accepts the hard work, and if we keep this atmosphere we can give ourselves a lot of satisfaction.”
On fitness, Gattuso confirmed one new concern and progress elsewhere. “Cataldi had a problem yesterday, a quadriceps issue. Tomorrow or the day after we’ll do a check. Dele-Bashiru returns to the group next week, Marusic has also improved a lot, and with Rovella we’ve started low-intensity running work.”
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