According to Di Marzio, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso spoke at the Sports Festival about his relationship with Gian Piero Gasperini, his working relationship with Claudio Lotito, memories of winning the 2006 World Cup, and players like Davide Frattesi and Nuno Tavares.

Gattuso discussed several topics at the Sports Festival related to Milan's current situation and his experiences in Italian football. One of the most talked about was his relationship with Gasperini, as the two have maintained a respectful and close relationship even during the most difficult moments of Gattuso's career.

Gattuso said: "Gasperini is a great coach; he was always there for me during difficult times. When I was at Milan and he was at Atalanta, he called me to tell me to keep going and that he liked the way my Milan played. We're a bit similar, both strong personalities, and he always made me feel his support." Gattuso then gave a higher evaluation of his counterpart, comparing him to one of the most influential coaches in Italian football history: "Nobody talks about this, but in terms of the revolution he brought, he is on the level of Arrigo Sacchi. Many of my colleagues and I have tried to replicate what he does, but it's very difficult." When asked if he would like to have dinner with Gasperini, he did not hesitate: "It would be an honor."

Regarding the derby, Gattuso put the brakes on, asking the team and those around them to focus on more immediate matches: "When I hear my players or staff talk about the derby, I immediately stop them. There are important matches to play, and we'll talk about that week then." Before that, they need to prepare for the match against Monza: "We have to prepare well for Monza; we've just had a 20-day break, which is a bit unusual." The Milan coach emphasized the opponent's speed, calling Monza a young team that "runs like crazy," and then mentioned his unpleasant past with Ivan Jurić: "I remember the Napoli vs. Hellas Verona match, where we missed out on Champions League qualification; that was a huge blow. We could have won to finish second, but ended up fifth with 77 points."

The fondest memory remains winning the 2006 World Cup, a journey in which Gattuso experienced difficulties, sacrifices, and the strength of an unforgettable team. The midfielder particularly recalled the semi-final against Germany, a match that was also special due to his personal situation: "I was on a yellow card and couldn't get another one, or I would miss the final. It was a special day." And a few days before the tournament began, this goal seemed far from certain: "I wasn't even supposed to be in that national team because 10 days earlier, in a friendly against Switzerland, I got a knee injury and a muscle tear, which should have kept me out for a month and a half."

To get back into playing condition, Gattuso underwent an extremely difficult recovery process: "I trained 13 to 14 hours a day to recover. When we left, people threw tomatoes at us; we had just come out of the Calciopoli scandal. Then, step by step, we made it to the end." According to the former midfielder, the foundation of that victory was primarily Marcello Lippi's ability to build a united team: "The credit for that success goes to Marcello Lippi, who did everything he could to build a team. We were an incredible team. He allowed us to bring our wives and children to the hotel and stay until midnight." The choice of hotel also helped create that atmosphere: "We stayed in a regular family hotel, not a five-star one. And it was run by Calabrians; you wouldn't believe how many tickets that cost me." Gattuso believes that this environment was one of the factors for success: "Staying in a family hotel like that was the secret."

One of the most important relationships forged in football was his friendship with Marco Materazzi, which began when Gattuso was very young and played for Perugia. This relationship transcended the rivalry of later wearing Inter and Milan jerseys: "I shared a lot with Materazzi. I was very young when I went to Perugia, and I had no money back then. He was older than me and helped me. We always had an incredible relationship." However, their friendship did not prevent the rivalry between the two Milan clubs from showing on the field. Gattuso humorously recounted how their relationship changed when they reunited as opponents: "Later, we went to Inter and Milan respectively, and everything changed. In the tunnel, it was as if he didn't know you." he concluded with a laugh.

Another topic Gattuso discussed was the lack of spectators in stadiums, a factor he believes inevitably affects football and team performance: "Full stadiums are missed: football without fans is not football. Fans are an important part; their shouts can make you give a little more." The memory of empty stadiums during the COVID-19 pandemic due to health reasons did not change his judgment: "Playing in empty stadiums is not football, and it was the same during the pandemic, but there was a reason then. Now we are suffering from this, with no fans to help us."

Gattuso also spoke about his relationship with the Lazio president, emphasizing his preference for dialogue and the importance he places on direct communication: "As a player, alas, I still carry that image. But since taking this job, I rarely argue with presidents. I like dialogue. Of course, I like to talk to real people, and words must count: I don't like to be played with." He then mentioned Lotito, with whom he established a relationship based on frank communication: "It's like that with Lotito. If things don't go well day-to-day, of course, you say it to his face. He is an incredibly smart person, a genius." Gattuso then joked about Lotito's well-known quotes circulating outside: "Did I say 'the less he talks, the better'? But that's complicated because he has four or five phones..."

Regarding the national team, Gattuso said: "That was a painful experience for me; I was very upset, it was a huge blow. I wanted to start over immediately." Gattuso also expressed his appreciation for experiences abroad, especially being able to engage with different cultures: "I like that; mixing cultures and my experiences is very important to me." Then came the choice of Lazio, after he had previously rejected Lotito two or three times: "This time I said yes because in extremely difficult circumstances, I believe many of them can contribute a lot. I am proud to coach these players who give so much, and we've started well, but there's a long way to go."

Gattuso also spoke about one of Lazio's most important signings, Frattesi, whom he had known since his time with the national team: "I had the privilege of coaching him in the national team, and during training camps, I kept telling him that he had to make a decision: he is an important player and cannot be content with playing only 15 minutes per game. I told him he had to take on more responsibility." The midfielder's decision to join Lazio was considered particularly significant by the coach: "His choice to join us was an incredible one, in a transfer market that was difficult for us and where not much could be done."

The conversation also touched on Nuno Tavares and the work done to unleash his talent. Gattuso noted that Nuno Mendes was the only player he thought could be compared to the Portuguese player: "Only Nuno Mendes and Tavares are at the same level." He then explained the meaning of his previous pre-Milan match joke about "legacy": "That phrase best describes Tavares; he hasn't reached his full potential." Their relationship was not simple at first: "There were some tense moments with him at the beginning; not everything was good." Gattuso then explained his particular impatience with those who waste their talent: "I hate people who have talent but do nothing to improve themselves. My path was completely different because I had no talent, and I worked hard to improve myself. I detest people who have talent but squander it."

The former Milan and Napoli coach also recounted the difficulties he encountered at the beginning of his coaching career, starting with his experience as a player-coach at Sion: "It took me time, and for a while, I wanted to give up. I underestimated the fact that I was dealing with a completely different generation, and I always came home annoyed by their attitudes." This experience also changed his approach: "I walked a path and identified two or three priorities in my ideas, adapting to the current generation in other aspects. I'm doing better now and no longer get angry about trivial matters."

Regarding Gattuso as a player and the opening of his fish market, he said: "I would never want a player like myself on my team. When I watch myself play, I immediately change the channel." This joke also illustrates how much his view of football has changed: "I don't like simple things. I can't stay at home for more than two or three months." After retiring, Gattuso lived in Gallarate for a while. It was from his daily experiences of buying groceries and fish prices that he came up with the idea of opening his own shop: "I lived in Gallarate for a while after I retired. When I went to buy fish, I found it was really expensive. So I decided to open a fish market."

Regarding Milan, Gattuso said: "Milan was a dream for me. I didn't deserve to be there when I first arrived. I could hear the sound of the ball, the difference between how they played and how I played." Gattuso also recalled what sustained him in those early years: "At Milanello, I saw photos of winning trophies, and my goal was to have a photo of myself there too. This gave me the strength to keep going in the early years even when we weren't winning. I have to thank those champion players and special people."

Regarding Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, Gattuso said: "For me, Maldini is an all-around champion. He's the one who made me feel awe. Even at 40, he never missed training, and if he wasn't feeling well, he'd take an aspirin. An incredible player, whose depth in technique, mentality, and personality was humbling." Gattuso then commented on the recent incident of Franco Baresi's mural being defaced: "That hurts me a lot, but we live in a world with many problems, and now I'm not surprised by anything."

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