Gattuso admits empty-stand nightmare: “Football without fans is another sport”

Lazio manager Gennaro Gattuso did not hide his frustration when speaking to Sky Sport ahead of the Serie A match against Udinese. He reflected on a painful Coppa Italia exit, but the main focus of his interview was the silence at Stadio Olimpico due to a fan strike. “We did not start particularly well with the Coppa Italia match,” said Gattuso. “It was a heavy blow. We paid for it, but we had the ability to react straight away.” Gattuso admitted the tense atmosphere around the club is affecting the team: “I would be hypocritical to say the atmosphere around the club does not weigh on us. It does weigh on us, that is a fact.” He described the strange feeling of playing in a beautiful stadium without supporters, especially after scoring under the curva. “You play in a beautiful stadium like the Olimpico and not have your fans supporting you... I think that is normal, it is part of our job.” His most powerful statement was: “Football without fans is not football. It is another sport.” The comments underline how serious the rift between Lazio supporters and the club has become. With an away game at Udinese approaching, Gattuso needs a reaction not just tactically, but emotionally.