Gattuso admits he nearly quit coaching after years of stress

‘I belong on the field’

Gennaro Gattuso has revealed that the strain of his first years as a coach made him consider walking away from football.

“In the first years, I wanted to quit,” Gattuso said in an interview with DAZN before Lazio’s away match against Juventus. “When I got home, I always had a stomachache, and I got angry. I had to think differently.”

He said he tried spending time at home, but quickly realised how much he missed the game. “After two or three months, I got annoyed and started bothering the people close to me,” he said. “I belong in the field; I like it. Even when the results weren’t there and I struggled.”

Gattuso demands courage against Juventus

Turning to the match, Gattuso warned that Juventus could pose problems out wide and highlighted the need for Lazio to approach the game with conviction.

“We can’t manage the game; if we have to lose, we lose our way. We need to play to reference points and have courage, but sometimes we lack both,” he said. He added that Lazio wanted to start strongly and be aggressive when pressing, even if they sometimes had to defend in a low block.

Gattuso acknowledged the threat of Kolo Muani’s pace and McKennie’s ability to play in an advanced role or on the wing, but said Lazio were prepared to compete.

‘We must get into the players’ heads’

Gattuso said experience abroad had helped him develop as a coach and argued that the job requires understanding how to reach players. He added that some principles were “not negotiable.”

He said his decision to join Lazio was shaped by the team’s performances the previous season and his familiarity with several members of the squad. “I had already coached three or four of these players, so it was an easy choice,” he said, adding that he hoped they would continue in the same vein.