Lazio, Gattuso: "At the Olimpico, without fans, it is a different sport"

The Lazio manager speaks on the eve of the trip to Udine

Gennaro Gattuso, Lazio manager, spoke to Sky before tomorrow's away game at Udinese: "We did not start particularly well with the Coppa Italia match, but let's say it was a heavy blow. We paid for it, but we had the ability to react straight away."

"I would be hypocritical to say the atmosphere around the club does not weigh on us, he added, referring to the fans' strike at the stadium. It does weigh on us, that is a fact. Because you play in a beautiful stadium like the Olimpico and not have your fans supporting you, after a goal going under the curva or even hearing the whistles when things are going badly. I think that is normal, it is part of our job. It is the extra thing, football without fans is not football. It is another sport".

Finally: "We have to be good at this, I knew there would be these difficulties. The only way is to keep going, perform well and make sure we are ready. We hope that one day all this will end and the chance will come to embrace our fans again, and they will be able to help us. Right now there is little we can do, there is talk and their choice has to be respected because they are consistent. That is a fact. I can only accept it, with the dream that one day the Olimpico will be full of our fans."