Gattuso says he considered quitting coaching early in his career

Early in his coaching career, Gattuso considered retiring, worn down by the pressure. The Lazio coach described the psychological difficulties he faced in his first years on the touchline: he thought about stepping away from the profession before realising that football was where he belonged. He also said that coaching experiences outside Italy helped him develop new skills, particularly in understanding players and influencing their mindset.

« In the early years, I thought about retiring. I would go home with stomach pains, I felt constantly angry, and I had to change the way I thought », he said.

His attempt to distance himself from football did not last. « I tried to stay at home and move away from football, but I missed it terribly. After two or three months, I started to feel unwell and to annoy those close to me. I understood that my place was on the pitch, because I love this job, even when the results do not come and I face difficulties », he added.

His experiences abroad also shaped his approach to coaching. « The experiences I had abroad helped me a lot. If we want to succeed in this profession, we have to understand the players and get inside their heads », he said.

At Lazio, his message also concerns the team’s collective demands. He believes his side needs more courage and tactical discipline in difficult matches, must start with intensity and avoid letting games slip away. « We are facing a team that makes you suffer out wide and has an outstanding coach, but it is all about mentality. We are not managing to control the course of the match and, if we have to lose, we lose our way of playing. We have to respect the movements that have been set out and show courage, but sometimes we are missing both », he said.

He wants Lazio to make stronger starts: « We want to start strongly from the first minute. We need courage and sometimes we may have to defend with a low block, but when we press with the forwards, we have to be more aggressive. »

Gattuso is in his first season in charge of Lazio, having taken over last summer after the Italian national team failed in its bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Lazio have collected 16 points from their first six Serie A matches this season, and their coach is looking to extend that run while improving the team’s performances.

Explaining his decision to join Lazio, Gattuso had pointed out that the team showed last season that it could play in a defined style and that he already knew several of the players. « I came here for one reason only. The team proved last season that it could play in a certain way, and I had also coached three or four of these players before, so the decision was easy. I hope they keep going in that direction. »