Gennaro Gattuso feels Davide Frattesi can ‘give Lazio a hand’ and discusses Mauro Icardi rumours, but warns he is ‘dismantling’ Maurizio Sarri’s tactics to rebuild the team.
The Aquile begin their competitive season on Sunday with the Coppa Italia First Round tie against Mantova, kicking off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.15 UK time (20.15 CEST).
Gattuso has fresh Lazio vision
ROME, ITALY – JULY 20: SS Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso reacts during the friendly match between SS Lazio and SS Lazio U20 at the Formello Sport Centre at Formello Training Center on July 20, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
“I don’t feel the tension right now for my debut, but once we’re on the bus going to the Stadio Olimpico, that will start the butterflies in my stomach,” Gattuso told the official club website and Sport Mediaset.
“There’s too much to work on and prepare right now. I’m very satisfied with how pre-season has gone, I had an idea in my head and knew that this was a squad ready to work. The players surprised me with their intensity, their desire to do something new.
“They were coming off a very particular style of football and a great coach, but we are trying to dismantle all that and try something different.”
Gennaro Gattuso meets Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri (sslazio)
Sarri had taken Lazio to the Coppa Italia Final, but ultimately was too often frustrated by the lack of reinforcements on the transfer market, especially as when he arrived last summer it was not made clear to him that they wouldn’t be able to buy any new players for six months.
The situation has improved a little for Gattuso, although the arrival of Frattesi from Inter was stalled by the same old liquidity index problems.
It was resolved following a change of formula, so it is now a much more expensive loan for €5m and option to buy for a further €10m plus 50 per cent of the future sale fee.
The original version had an obligation to buy for €14m on top of the €1m loan.
“Davide is a player I already worked with. I think he can do well, because he has precise characteristics. I am a coach, not an accountant, so I can only hope he’ll arrive and then we’ll see,” added Gattuso.
“He is certainly a player who can give us a big hand.
There have also been reports that Lazio are trying to snap up free agent Icardi after his contract with Galatasaray expired.
“Mauro is a hitman who made football history, but we are looking for a complete striker, someone who can press, run hard, as well as score goals. We don’t just want a hitman and that’s it, he needs to hold up the ball, attack the space,” noted the coach.
“Mantova are a very attacking side with a high press, so we mustn’t get the initial approach wrong,” continued Gattuso.
“We still need to understand when we want to stick to our positions and when to move, we’re not yet perfect with those movements. Sometimes you have to push, at others you need time to breathe.
“I don’t think about how long it will take before we see my style of football. We’ve got to speed things up and understand what we want to be. I don’t like being somewhere caught in the middle.
“I was still surprised by how quickly the lads managed to adapt. Some might say our friendly performances weren’t of a high level, but every match is difficult.”