Gattuso recalls Napoli regret and De Laurentiis dressing-room talk

Gennaro Gattuso has revisited Napoli's failure to qualify for the Champions League on the final day, saying the pain matched his disappointment with the Italy national team. Speaking after Napoli-Lazio, the Lazio coach said his side had produced an incredible season but dropped points against Verona and that he deserved to be dismissed, according to Corriere dello Sport.

Gattuso said the decisive day was unusual and that discussion focused on everything except the match. He said president Aurelio De Laurentiis came into the dressing room and spoke about bonuses, but nothing was subsequently done, which he described as his biggest regret. He added that the team arrived drained and with the sense the job was already complete, and that at that moment it felt like a Scudetto.

Gattuso also said he left part of his heart in Naples and that the supporters always showed him affection. He noted he was envious on this return because fans were absent during his tenure due to Covid, and called it always a spectacle to come back. The newspaper reported that his answers drew applause from the press room.