Gennaro Gattuso apologises after Lazio's shock Coppa Italia exit

Gennaro Gattuso apologised to Lazio supporters after his side were surprisingly knocked out of the Coppa Italia following a 2-0 defeat to second-tier Mantova at the Stadio Olimpico. The coach accepted full responsibility and urged everyone to focus calmly on preparations for the Serie A season.

"This is a heavy blow. It's right that I stand in front of you, but now it's time to calm down and work. I take full responsibility. We knew we had a lot of work ahead of us. It hurts at the moment and we have to apologise. Let's move on, and I stand firmly with these guys who are giving everything," Gattuso said.

He criticised his players' first-half display, saying the passive approach handed Mantova confidence and made life difficult for Lazio. The coach insisted the squad must correct several deficiencies if they want a positive league campaign.

Recent setbacks in Gattuso's career

Gattuso has arrived at Lazio following a string of setbacks. He left Hajduk at the end of the 2024/25 season after failing to make progress, then took charge of the Italian national team but did not secure direct qualification for the World Cup and was eliminated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs. He subsequently became Lazio's coach and now faces an immediate early exit from the national cup.

On the match and the squad's shortcomings he was blunt: "We must improve in many areas. This hurts, but we must stay strong. It's true that we had chances, but in the first half we did almost nothing until the end — we were not aggressive enough and we left them too much space. It's better for players to create chances and miss than to watch this. From day one we know we must be united and work. We can only get out of this situation through hard work and the desire to play a good season," the Lazio coach explained.

Gattuso also dismissed immediate transfer excuses and placed the onus on those who took the field.

"Today the topic is not the market, but the players who played. It's easy to say we lack this or that. Now we need responsibility, and then we'll see what happens in the coming days," he said.

He closed by asking for calm inside the club and stressed the need to rebuild ties with a restless fan base. "The boys are working well and they have a lot of desire. We have changed a lot and we hope to change this dynamic," he concluded.

With the Coppa Italia exit, Lazio can concentrate fully on the domestic league — they are not involved in European competition this season. Gattuso's next task is preparing the team for the Serie A opener, an away match at Bologna on Monday, 24 August.

Photo: Nazionale Italiana (X)