Gattuso's Lazio enjoy stunning Serie A surge despite fan boycott

Gattuso's Lazio enjoy stunning Serie A surge despite fan boycott The prospects of a successful season for Lazio did not look particularly bright after a 2025/2026 campaign that ended without a trophy or a place in European competition. Yet the team from the Italian capital have emerged as THE standout side in this season's Serie A despite having the WORST average attendance in the league! Tuesday's (27) win came not in Rome, but away at Sassuolo: 6–2, even with two missed penalties. It further underlines their impressive form in a season that began under challenging circumstances. Lazio moved to 25 points, ahead of Inter on 22, who have yet to play their ninth-round fixture. Gattuso's side—coming off his humiliating spell with the Italian national team—have the second-best attack, with 22 goals. They also boast the tightest defense, having conceded just seven. Why are home attendances so low? The strained relationship between a large section of the fans and Lazio president Claudio Lotito reached breaking point in January this year. 📸 Marco Rosi - SS Lazio - 2026 Getty Images Those supporters followed through on their promise not to renew their season tickets for games at the Olimpico after investment for the second half of last season fell short of expectations. The businessman and Italian senator has been unpopular with the Biancocelesti 's most passionate supporters since taking ownership of the club in 2004. He began curbing some of the control the ultras exercised over tickets and official club merchandise. Lotito has been suspended for his involvement in Calciopoli—the biggest match-fixing and corruption scandal in Italian football—for breaching COVID-19 regulations, and for violating rules on third-party ownership of players. He has also faced fierce criticism for downplaying (and denying) incidents of racism, as well as making disparaging comments about smaller clubs. The 69-year-old businessman has defended himself by pointing out, for example, that Lazio have won six trophies since his arrival, that he presented plans for the new Flaminio stadium and worked to complete the club's training center. But none of that has stopped the ongoing boycott, which has hit the club's finances hard this season. Lazio's average home attendance in this season's Serie A is just 9,515 at a stadium with a capacity of 70,634. Meanwhile, rivals Roma, who also play their home games at the Olimpico, have been drawing around 67,024 fans. It is a striking contrast, given that both teams are enjoying excellent campaigns. Monza have the second-lowest attendance: 10,124. But their stadium, the Brianteo, holds only 17,000. So far, Lazio's only disappointment in 2026/2027 has been their first-round exit from the Coppa Italia. That "helped" make their fixture list even lighter. Aside from Serie A, Gattuso's team will only have the Italian Super Cup to contend with until May next year. They will face Inter, who knocked them out of last season's Coppa Italia, on December 22. They return to Serie A action next Sunday (November 1), when they host Cagliari at an almost empty Olimpico. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.