Maurizio Sarri is back at Lazio after a year away. The 66-year-old coach took over the team following Marco Baroni’s departure, which left the Romans out of European competitions.
Sarri stepped down from Lazio in March 2024, citing family problems and a stalemate with the players. Now, he’s opening up about his return to the OlÃmpico. “Coming back to Lazio feels like coming home,” he told Tuttomercatoweb. “The fans love me here. It wasn’t the most rational decision, but emotionally, it was a no-brainer.” Sarri had a tough year, losing several family members and putting football on the backburner. He’s ready to get back to work.
There were rumors that Fiorentina also reached out to him. “Yes, they contacted me, but I’d already signed with Lazio,” Sarri confirmed. He praised the Fiorentina fans for their support during a difficult time, even putting up his picture around the city. Sarri also talked about his players, including Nuno Tavares. “He’s talented, but unpredictable. If we put him in the right position, he could be amazing.”
Sarri had already signed with Lazio when the Italian national team coaching job opened up after Luciano Spalletti’s departure. He shared his thoughts on how to improve the team. “Something’s not working, because two years ago, we were second in the UEFA club rankings, and now we’re third. There’s a gap between the quality of our clubs and the national team’s performance.” Sarri has a close relationship with new coach Gennaro Gattuso and offered some advice: “Just be yourself, Gattuso. Don’t compromise your vision of football.”
Sarri reflected on his toughest coaching experience, which was with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. “That team was the hardest to coach because the players were so mismatched. We won the Scudetto in 2019/20 thanks to fresher players like Rodrigo Bentancur.” He analyzed the Champions League final and the transformation of PSG. “PSG taught the football world a lesson by letting go of big stars, reducing salaries, and having the courage to invest in young players. They won a trophy that Lionel Messi and Neymar couldn’t deliver.”
Key Takeaways
- Maurizio Sarri returns to Lazio after a year away
- He cited family problems and a stalemate with players for his initial departure
- Sarri praises Fiorentina fans for their support and talks about his players, including Nuno Tavares
- He shares his thoughts on improving the Italian national team and offers advice to new coach Gennaro Gattuso
- Sarri reflects on his toughest coaching experience with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and analyzes the Champions League final and PSG’s transformation