Maurizio Sarri steps down as Lazio coach after poor run of games; Report
Maurizio Sarri, Lazio’s coach, stepped down after the Serie A team fell behind in the fight for European football, Italian media reported on Tuesday. When contacted by AFP, Lazio declined to confirm or refuse widespread claims that Sarri had stepped down.
After losing 2-1 at home to Udinese on Monday night, Lazio is now seven points behind Atalanta in Italy’s Europa Conference League and four points behind Bologna in the final Champions League position.
Bayern Munich eliminated Sarri’s squad from the Champions League as well, despite leading by just one goal after the first leg of their last-16 match. Lazio’s season is not done. They are in the Italian Cup semi-finals, where they will face Juventus over two legs.
Sarri joined Lazio in 2021 after taking a year off after winning the league title with Juventus during the Covid-19 epidemic. The 65-year-old, who recently won the 2019 Europa League with Chelsea, is best known for the flamboyant Napoli team, which nearly won Serie A in 2018.