Italian Cup, Gattuso's Lazio scores the first: 2-0 for Mantua and elimination

Rino Gattuso's adventure on the Lazio bench doesn't start off on the right foot.

In fact, in their first official outing, the Biancocelesti lost 2-0 to Mantua, a Serie B team, and said goodbye to the Italian Cup.

What condemned Lazio were the goals of Ruocco, who with a quarter of an hour to go was ready for an assist from the left to push the ball into the net, and then of Cajazzo who, with time up, rounded off the score by slotting into an empty net and handing the Lombards the round of 32 to be played against the winner of the match between Palermo and Lecce.

Gattuso has to give up Romagnoli, stopped by fatigue, as well as Tavares, Isaksen, Cataldi, Gigot and Patric.

Yet Lazio would have immediately had the opportunity to take the lead with the double chance that first occurred to Dele-Bashiru and then Dia, which however they failed to materialise.

Mantova is not there to act as a sparring partner and shows up on a couple of occasions near Mandas, but the first half ends at 0-0.

In the second half Gattuso tried to shake up Lazio, who were too staid, with substitutions but in the 75th minute came the cold shower signed by Ruocco who put Mantua ahead and then Cajazzo's second goal as time expired who pushed into the empty net eliminating Lazio, forced to abandon prematurely what could have been the only real goal of the season and to leave the pitch amidst the boos of the very few spectators present at the Olimpico.

Gattuso, 'it's a setback, we apologize and move on'

"It's a blow, I'm putting my face into it because it's right but now we have to shut up and pedal.

We knew we had a lot of work to do, now it hurts and we have to apologize but we move on.

We came out with a Serie B team, we take responsibility, but the boys are giving it their all, even if it's not enough.

This is a nice punch in the face, we felt it and we hope to be able to work calmly.

Outside it is normal for the environment to not be happy and we hope to change this too" Gattuso told Sport Mediaset after the defeat.

The Biancoceleste coach then, analyzing the match, underlines how "it's burning at the moment.

We had some opportunities, but we did things halfway.

We have to improve, I prefer players to miss the opportunities they create; It's normal that, at this moment, the environment is this one but it shouldn't be an alibi for us.

We need to stay united and work."

Finally, Gattuso prefers not to comment on the transfer rumors, admitting that "today we don't talk about it, it would be too easy to do so and look for alibis.

Then we'll see what we can do," he concludes.