Lazio and Gennaro Gattuso are enjoying a remarkable turnaround, with Serie A witnessing something special in the opening phase of the season. Lazio have gone 10 matches undefeated, winning nine, and despite few expecting them to be anywhere near the title race before the campaign began, they are top of the table. Lazio finished ninth last season and seventh in 2024-25, missing out on European football on both occasions. Gattuso arrived after a difficult spell; he failed to guide Italy to the 2026 World Cup.
But Lazio's impressive run on the pitch has done little to bring their supporters back to the Stadio Olimpico. The boycott of home matches continues, with the fans' anger directed at club president Claudio Lotito for the way he has run the club for over two decades. This has little to do with the team's results. Many supporters have simply had enough of the ownership, especially after years of frustration over the club's direction and their limited activity in the transfer market under strict financial restrictions.
The tension between Lotito and Lazio's organised fan groups has been there for years, but things came to a head in January. The decision to sell key players midway through the season proved to be the final straw for the Curva Nord, the club's main ultras group, which called for a complete boycott of home games.
The numbers tell the story. According to “Calcio e Finanza”, Lazio's season-ticket sales have dropped from nearly 30,000 last season to fewer than 4,500. The fall in attendance was also evident in Saturday's home fixture against AC Milan. Almost 50,000 supporters watched the same fixture last season, but this time the crowd was less than half that number. Milan's travelling supporters were often louder than the home fans, a sight that underlined the extent of the divide between Lazio and their own supporters.
{{/usCountry}}The numbers tell the story. According to “Calcio e Finanza”, Lazio's season-ticket sales have dropped from nearly 30,000 last season to fewer than 4,500. The fall in attendance was also evident in Saturday's home fixture against AC Milan. Almost 50,000 supporters watched the same fixture last season, but this time the crowd was less than half that number. Milan's travelling supporters were often louder than the home fans, a sight that underlined the extent of the divide between Lazio and their own supporters.
{{/usCountry}}Gattuso’s arrival has not changed the mood among fans much, given his ordinary record at AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia and Marseille.
| Team | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Milan | 83 | 40 | 23 | 20 | 48.19% | 1.75 |
| Napoli | 81 | 46 | 13 | 22 | 56.79% | 1.89 |
| Valencia | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 31.82% | 1.18 |
| Marseille | 24 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 37.50% | 1.5 |
| Italy | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 75.00% | 2.38 |
| Lazio | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 81.82% | 2.55 |
Gennaro Gattuso managerial record with major teams
But Gattuso, a 2006 World Cup winner who struggled to make his mark in previous managerial roles, is finally getting things right. He has a team without many big names, but one that appears to have bought into his ideas. The former Italy midfielder has built a solid defensive unit, with Lazio conceding just eight goals in 10 matches, the joint-lowest tally alongside Como. According to Opta Analyst, Lazio have made just five errors leading to shots, none of which have resulted in a goal.
Possession has been an important part of Gattuso's approach, with Lazio averaging 53.9 per cent according to Sofascore. However, he is not wedded to one style of play and has shown that his team can adjust to the opposition. Against Juventus, Lazio had only 42 per cent possession but still came away with a convincing 3-0 win. They had just 34 per cent possession in a 2-2 draw against AC Milan, while against Cagliari they had 74 per cent possession.
Their is a clear method to their play in the front third. Lazio have recorded an xG of 16.48 across their 10 matches, according to Opta Analyst. That figure may not suggest an overwhelmingly dominant attack, but their ability to make the most of their chances has been a major factor in their run. Their goals-to-xG conversion rate of 7.52 underlines just how clinical they have been.
Lazio's success has been built on a collective effort rather than individual brilliance. While Serie A's leading scorer Gustavo Varela has netted nine goals for AC Monza, his team languish in 18th place in the relegation zone. Their second-highest scorer, Jay Robinson, has managed just two goals. Lazio, on the other hand, have shared the goals with Tijjani Noslin and Gustav Isaksen scoring four each and Davide Frattesi finding the net three times. This reflects how Gattuso has got the team playing as a unit, with contributions from across the squad.
Gattuso, however, is not getting carried away. The club last won the Serie A title in 2000, but the head coach is keeping expectations in check and insists avoiding relegation remains the team's first target this season.
"Our target is to avoid relegation and we still need 12 more points," Gattuso said. "We need to get our heads down and work, and not look at the table."
There's still some scepticism as to whether Lazio can keep this run going, as they haven't yet faced Inter, Como or Roma. But unlike their rivals, Lazio have no European fixtures, so the players can be fresh.