Gattuso on Belahyane: “He fainted two or three times”

Reda Belahyane continues to gain ground in Gennaro Gattuso’s plans at Lazio. After the victory achieved on Saturday night on the pitch of Venezia (0-2) during the 5th round of Serie A, the Italian coach recounted the difficulties faced by the Moroccan international during the summer preparation, revealing in particular that his player had lost consciousness several times during the training camp.

“During the camp, Belahyane fainted two or three times. He came to my office to apologize, and I replied: ‘Don’t worry, step by step.'” Gattuso especially wanted to highlight the attitude of the Moroccan midfielder. “When I see investment, boys who want to learn, it’s a satisfaction for me. I want to help them. The important thing is not to see people who don’t want to work; I don’t get along with them.”

This anecdote allows us to measure the progress Belahyane has made since the beginning of the preparation. Gattuso had imposed particularly demanding work on his group during the summer, with several weeks of preparation under high temperatures. The Moroccan clearly needed some time to adapt to these new workloads, without becoming discouraged. This attitude seems to have convinced his coach today.

Against Venezia, Belahyane thus secured another starting position in the Lazio midfield. He played the full 90 minutes in a match won thanks to a penalty converted by Mattia Zaccagni in the 51st minute, before Tijjani Noslin doubled the lead nine minutes later. Christos Mandas had previously saved a penalty from John Yeboah in the first half, allowing the Romans to stay in the game before making the difference after the break.

Belahyane’s performance was also well received by a large part of the Italian press. La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and La Repubblica rated him 6.5/10, while Il Messaggero and Il Tempo went up to 7/10. Several observers particularly appreciated his activity in midfield, his work in duels, and his ability to take on more responsibilities in the game. However, Corriere della Sera was more severe with a score of 5.5/10.

This confidence from Gattuso represents an important evolution for the Atlas Lion. In the absence of Nicolò Rovella, Belahyane is taking the opportunity to establish himself permanently in the Lazio midfield and accumulate playing time. After five rounds, Lazio now has 13 points and continues its very good start to the season.

Just a few weeks after physically struggling during the preparation to the point of fainting several times, Reda Belahyane has thus become one of the players Gattuso no longer hesitates to rely on. The Italian technician sees this progression as a reward for the work and willingness to learn displayed by the Moroccan international since his arrival.