Gattuso's Incredible Turnaround: From Brink of Sack to Serie A Summit

The Lazio coach has overturned the doubts surrounding him in just three matches: three victories, and now his Lazio side are among the league leaders. From a manager on the brink of the sack to simply 'the manager'. In the space of twenty days, Rino Gattuso has surprised everyone, and deservedly so. Much like he did as a player, when he consistently managed to turn around even the most unfavourable situations, as Lazio's coach he has completely transformed things in just three games, sweeping away the (unjustified) doubts that had surrounded him. The Turnaround — Following the Coppa Italia defeat to Mantova, which occurred a week before the start of the league season, his dismissal was considered the most likely in Serie A. Bookmakers (almost all of them) believed he would be the first manager to be sacked. Bookmakers, of course, cannot be swayed by sentiment. And perhaps, albeit reluctantly and with all due respect for the 2006 World Cup winner, they had to align with the general perception. But they hadn't reckoned with Rino's stubbornness. The coach pressed on, unwavering. Despite a painful and unexpected defeat (that against Mantova), he didn't succumb to the urge to change everything. He continued with the work he had established from the very first day of pre-season, and events have proven him right. The Next Steps — But beyond his stubbornness, the same trait that accompanied his entire playing career from its beginnings in Scotland where he moved as a teenager, he has brought much more to the table. Firstly, he has created a compact and calm group, which is proving to be the true strength of his Lazio side. He then restored confidence to all the players, without exception. This explains the resurgence of Tavares, the emergence of Frattesi (who had endured a troubled year), Zaccagni's return to top form, Taylor's development, and the revelations of Floriani and Belahyane. But perhaps the most important thing Rino has done is give Lazio a new playing identity, one that is proving both attractive and effective. He has transformed Sarri's enveloping 4-3-3 into a more aggressive, decidedly attack-minded formation. Unbalanced, it was feared at first. But the statistic of conceding only one goal in three matches clearly demonstrates that the balance is indeed there. Milan Next — So what now? Gattuso knows full well that this initial hat-trick of victories (which Lazio had only achieved twice before in their history) means nothing yet. The road to reaching certain levels is still long and full of obstacles. Crucially, it's not yet possible to determine what kind of objectives his Lazio side can pursue. But in the meantime, this start is already a very important and unexpected step forward. And on Saturday, Milan arrive at the Olimpico, a team that for Gattuso will never be just another opponent. He will face them as league leaders with a perfect record. If bookmakers had offered odds on this possibility and someone had backed it, they would be counting their money now. This article was originally written in Italian by La Gazzetta dello Sport editor. The English version has been generated using AI translation tools. If you notice any translation errors or have suggestions, please contact us at iniziativegazzetta@rcs.it