Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Sunday, January 25, 2026, 11:40 / Updated Sunday, January 25, 2026 11:40
The coach of Lazio, Maurizio Sarri, reacted “bluntly” after the 0-0 away from Lecce. His attack targets Lazio owner Claudio Lotito.
Discontent grows at Lazio after yet another below-expected result. In the press conference at the end of the match with Lecce (0-0), journalists confronted coach Maurizio Sarri with the fact that many players would leave because of him.
Maurizio Sarri: “One who left 10 days ago cried for 20 minutes in my office”
But Sarri responded by pointing the finger at the club management and especially at the boss Claudio Lotito, the man with the money and the decisions. “The boys told me that they want to leave because they don't see great ambitions at the club. One who transferred 10 days ago cried for 20 minutes in my office, so what are we talking about?!” commented the Lazio coach.
The striker Taty Castellanos, sold to West Ham, Matteo Guendouzi (Fenerbahce) and Diego Gonzalez (Atlas) were sold from Lazio this winter. And on the starting leg is the central defender Alessio Romagnoli, who will arrive under the command of Roberto Mancini, at Al-Sadd, in Qatar.
Maurizio Sarri publicly opposes the departure of Alessio Romagnoli
Sarri does not see the departure of the head of defense with good eyes, whom he considers “irreplaceable” at the moment. “And if I were to get a quarterback instead, it's not the same. Aside from his undeniable value, Romagnoli is the best suited to my plans, he leads the defence.
A stronger player could arrive, but it would take months to convey to him what Romagnoli is capable of doing at the moment,” commented the Italian coach, who also gave the example of Guendouzi.
Maurizio Sarri: “Something must be done, but transfers are decided by the boss”
Sarri: “His sale was never addressed. A complementary player was brought in his place, it was not a reinforcement. We are in uncertainty, something has to be done, but don't ask me what, because transfers are decided by the club, by the boss.”
Lazio gravitates to the middle of the standings in Serie A, in 9th place, and there are no signs that it can do more this season, especially after Lotito sold the established Castellanos and Guendouzi, and instead brought two no-name players to Sarri, Kenneth Taylor (Ajax) and Petar Ratkov (Salzburg). By the way, about the last one, the coach also said that he has no idea “who he is and what he can do”.
