Gennaro Gattuso responds to Kenneth Taylor sending-off: ‘Those who know me know that…’ | Goal.com

Published on 01 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Gennaro Gattuso looked back on the altercation he had with Kenneth Taylor in training this week. He did so after the 6-3 friendly win over Avellino, in which Taylor scored after coming on as a substitute.

Footage released by Radio Laziale on Thursday showed Gattuso shouting and gesturing furiously as he sent Taylor off the training pitch. Agent Guido Albers had already dismissed it as a 'storm in a glass of water', and he was right. 

Against Avellino on Saturday, Taylor came on in the second half and capitalised straight away on a mistake in the opposition defence to make it 6-3. It was the perfect response after an eventful week. 

After the match, Gattuso addressed the much-discussed incident. "Anyone who knows me knows how I think and what my style is. For me, the matter is settled after thirty minutes, and you could see that this afternoon as well. That’s just how I am." 

Striking a positive note, he added: "That’s the mentality we need here. We are satisfied with today; the very fact that we have not lost any players to serious injuries means the damage has been kept to a minimum. That is an advantage." 

Lazio begin the new season on 16 August with a Coppa Italia match against Mantova. A week later, they face Bologna in their opening league game. 

Taylor joined Lazio from Ajax in January for just under €17 million. In his first six months in Italy, he made 21 appearances, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. Taylor is under contract in Rome until mid-2030.

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