After being linked to a number of teams including Juventus and Milan, Simone Inzaghi has reached a deal to stay at Lazio for at least the next year. The deal will prolong his existing contract by one year, to 2021.
President Claudio Lotito had been offering a longer deal and reports suggested that the 43-year-old former striker was hesitant about extending his contract too far into the future. There had also been rumors swirling that Inzaghi had made several personal requests of Lotito for the upcoming summer market but it is unknown what exactly these might be or if they were part of the successful negotiations.
Inzaghi took over as the Lazio bench boss in April 2016 after Stefano Pioli was shown the exit. The former Lazio Primavera coach and player was supposed to be replaced by Marcelo Bielsa in August of 2016, but the mercurial Argentine coach abruptly left Lazio only a short period of time after taking the job. Since then, Inzaghi has led Lazio through two largely successful seasons including Supercoppa and Coppa Italia crowns. The news is likely to come as a relief to most Lazio supporters who have always appreciated the coach’s exuberant celebrations and bonafide attachment to the badge.
