The former Hajduk coach endured a nightmare debut on the Roma club's bench, as they suffered a 2-0 loss to Mantova at the Stadio Olimpico and were immediately eliminated from the Coppa Italia.
Gennaro Gattuso could not have asked for a worse start at Lazio. In his first official match in charge of the Roman side, his team was shockingly defeated 2-0 at home by second-tier Mantova at the Stadio Olimpico, ending their Coppa Italia campaign in the round of 16.
Lazio appeared to be in control on the pitch but failed to convert that into a lead. The punishment came in the 75th minute when Francesco Ruocco found the back of the net to give the visitors the lead. The Romans then failed to find an equalizer.
The final blow came in stoppage time. According to Sportklub, Canadian striker Ismael Cajazzo made it 2-0 in the 96th minute, sealing one of the greatest triumphs in Mantova's history, as they advanced to the next round.
This outcome puts immense pressure on Gattuso and his coaching staff right at the start of the season. Lazio have missed their first chance at silverware and must now quickly regroup ahead of their Serie A opener.
Before arriving in Rome, Gattuso managed Hajduk Split from 2024 to 2025, leading them to a third-place finish in the Croatian league. After leaving Poljud, he took charge of the Italian national team but failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs. Now, his stint at Lazio has also started poorly.
