Fabiani Hails Gattuso & Young Lazio Duo, Calls for ‘Truce’ With the Fans
Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabian is delighted with the team’s marvellous start to the season, but considers the fans’ absence a major blemish.
The Biancocelesti are currently sharing the top spot with Inter Milan after garnering 19 of a possible 21 points. Their latest exploit was a tremendous 3-0 victory over Juventus in Turin that confirmed the team’s sensational form.
Angelo Fabiani Applauds Lazio After Spectacular Juventus Display
In his interview with Lazio Style Radio (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Fabiani explained how the win at the Allianz Stadium highlighted the improvements made in recent weeks, as they avoided the collapse witnessed in recent weeks.
Going to Turin and winning is not something that happens every day. The satisfaction lies in conquering a difficult ground against a team like Juventus, but there have also been other matches in which the lads have demonstrated great strength.
Take the game against Milan, for example. We completely dominated the first half, but the tempo dropped in the second. That is understandable, too, because we had no substitutes available, with so many injuries. Meanwhile, they made substitutions that changed the game.
Player Ratings: Juventus 0-3 Lazio – Oliver the Conqueror
Fabiani Urges Lazio to Stay Humble
Nevertheless, the 63-year-old believes the players should keep their feet on the ground, as they have yet to achieve anything at this early stage of the season.
We have made an important start to the season, but it doesn’t mean anything yet. The road is very long, and there will be plenty of pitfalls along the way. We are all enjoying this wonderful moment, and rightly so, but I urge everyone to remain measured. What matters is what we do tomorrow, not what we did yesterday.
Saturday already brings a difficult match, perhaps the toughest of all the games we have played so far. You will see that it won’t be easy. Gattuso experiences defeats in the same way he experiences victories, with maximum balance and composure.
You have to take positives from a defeat, just as you must find positives in a victory. He is demonstrating that he is a coach of tremendous ability, above all in terms of his character and moral qualities.
Fabiani Lauds Floriani Mussolini & Belahyane
Fabiani was particularly praiseful of Romano Floriani Mussolini and Reda Belahyane, who suddenly became key figures in the team.
The whole team is moving well. I like to highlight Floriani’s confidence and composure. It is easy to talk about Dele-Bashiru, Belahyane and Taylor.
Instead, we should focus on this young lad, who is giving us a lot of satisfaction. In Turin, he played like a veteran, and that is important for the club as well as for his future.”
We already knew Belahyane. We had followed and watched him closely long before signing him. We knew he was a reliable performer, someone who consistently delivers.
He may look lightweight and weak, but he has an ability to break up opposition play and possesses excellent vision. He always knows what to do with the ball and how to find the right pass.
He was born in 2004, so he has considerable room for improvement, and under Gattuso he is finding an unexpected balance. He will make headlines.
How Gattuso Ended up at Lazio
The Lazio director explains how Gennaro Gattuso’s appointment came about while praising him for instilling his own fighting methods in such a short period.
The idea of joining Lazio had always been in the air with Gattuso. It emerged immediately after the separation from Sarri, whom I would like to greet.
We went for Rino, and a handshake was all it took. He likes challenges; it is part of his character. We immediately hit it off and got to work. He bluffs a little sometimes” (laughs, ed.), “but this team is entertaining people and has clear ideas.
The lads are embodying his combative spirit. Rino is among the most beloved figures in Italy because of his exploits with the national team and his victories. He is a gladiator who thrives on battle. And who knows? I believe the team wants to emulate him in that respect.
On Sunday, the team finished with an average speed of 31–32 km/h. That means the lads are covering two or three metres more than they did in the past. They are taking a great deal from him.
He embodies humility and a willingness to make sacrifices, qualities that reflect everything he has achieved in football. He is a man of discipline, a man from another era, and he passes all of that on to his players.”
Fabiani Regretted Sending Mandas to Bournemouth
Fabiani admits that loaning out Christos Mandas to Bournemouth was a mistake he was forced to commit due to the goalkeeper’s lack of time, but he was thrilled to welcome him back to the team.
As for Mandas, people aren’t interested in how much he cost or the figures involved. In my opinion, he was born and grew up that way (laughs, ed.) —already a fully developed player. Last year, I made the mistake of sending him abroad at the request of the player and his agents.
He was getting little playing time here because Provedel was ahead of him, but he never played in England. When he returned, he was a little rusty and needed to regain his sharpness. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Fabiani Calls for Truce With Lazio Fans
Finally, Fabiani once again urged the Lazio fans to end their stadium boycott (as part of their protest against club president Claudio Lotito) and return to the stands, as he dreams of enjoying a packed Olimpico once more.
As everyone saw, there was a wonderful spectacle in the section of the stadium reserved for our fans on Sunday, with the lads sharing the joy of victory with their own people. I will probably receive more insults, but it doesn’t matter. I feel the empty Olimpico somewhat like a defeat. It weighs heavily on me; it is a burden that keeps me awake at night.
Drawing a comparison with situations far more serious than this, such as wars, I believe that truces are possible. I want to extend an olive branch of love and common sense. We are all intelligent people, so let’s call a truce. Everyone can then maintain their own positions and see life in their own way.
This would mean something important to these lads, to the players and to the coach. This isn’t about ticket-office revenue; I am not saying this for financial reasons. But I would love to see a packed stadium as early as Saturday, regardless of the result, although I naturally hope it will be a positive one.
I would love to experience a festive atmosphere, with fans and players united. What do I want from this league campaign? A truce. I think it would be the most beautiful championship I could ever win.
