VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 19: SSc Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso and Venezia FC head coach Giovanni Stroppa before the Serie A match between Venezia FC and SS Lazio at the Stadio Luigi Penzo in Marina di Venezia on September 19, 2026 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
Giovanni Stroppa admits Venezia could sack him but “the table doesn’t reflect the team’s performance” after five games with zero points, including tonight’s 2-0 loss to Lazio.
It’s not hard to see where Lagunari’s problems lay as they wasted a number of scoring chances in the first half, including John Yeboah’s penalty which was saved by Christos Mandas.
It’s worth noting that there was some tension around who should step up as Akole Adams wanted the ball until Stroppa on the touchline told Yeboah to take the ball.
After the break, Lazio won 2-0 with a penalty from Mattia Zakani and a header from Tijani Noslin, with wasted shots punished.
Stroppa admits Venice figures are scary
“The table does not reflect the team’s performance,” Stroppa told Sky Sports Italia.
“You only have to look at the statistics, we had six shots on target, Lazio had two and we lost 2-0. The first half was excellent, we were well prepared and the players interpreted it well.
“The penalty could have been a turning point, we didn’t take full advantage of it and Lazio did take it. Despite this, the team never stopped believing and we didn’t lose our balance but still lost the game 2-0.”
Reports have emerged that Stroppa could be the third Serie A manager to be sacked this season, after Fiorentina’s Fabio Grosso and Bologna’s Domenico Tedesco.
“If I were president, I wouldn’t remove the coach because the job we did is there for all to see. My main regret is that I didn’t make all the players available,” Stroppa noted.
“Of course, I’m not the president, so the decision is not up to me. We’ll see what factors into that decision, both in terms of the outcome and the work that we do every day.”
His list of absentees includes Gianluca Busio, Richciano Harps, Andrea Adorante, Amer Vela-Kochapu, Marin Sverko, Bartol Franjic and former Lazio midfielder Toma Beske.
Venezia have lost five of five games and are bottom of the table, scoring a measly four goals and conceding 13. This is their worst start to the season since the 2001/02 season.
“Given the chances we have created in these five games, our position in the table could be very different. I am not sending any negative signals from the team, but the numbers are relentless. We played against Lazio, one of the best teams in the league at the moment, but we created so many and allowed so little. You have to take those chances.”
It’s not that they didn’t create opportunities, but there were too many personal mistakes on both ends of the court.
“With Noslin’s goal, maybe the goalkeeper can come out and cross. Juan Jesus helped us a lot today with communication and controlling the tempo.”
Managers linked with the job at Penzo include Igor Tudor and Roberto da Verza, but Stroppa secured promotion from Serie B by winning the league title last season.