Lazio’s Director of Communications Stefano De Martino spoke about the appointment of coach Maurizio Sarri and the work of the club’s management today.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Lazio Style Channel earlier today, De Martino discussed the work of president Claudio Lotito.
I congratulate President Lotito for the negotiation closed, together with Tare. Both of them have brought this positive closure with the arrival of Sarri as the new coach of Lazio. We are talking about a coach with a high profile, as evidenced by his recent past and beyond.
The President’s statements have explained to us that the choice of Sarri is focused on continuing the process of growth, a sign that this club always wants to improve, step by step, always remaining attentive to the numbers and turnover, but always wanting to add and not take away.
He commented on the club’s growth since 2008 under the guidance of Lotito.
From 2008 to the present day, from the first trophy to the last, with the Primavera team winning everything between Bollini and Inzaghi, the club has taken steps forward and has stabilized in Europe.
Not forgetting, of course, Lazio Women, who have made it to Serie A. From here, a whole series of considerations start.
From what has been said before and during the negotiations: we have read everything, moving between skepticism and negativity in the general communication system and those who have always had faith in the will of this Presidency.
Then there’s the negotiation, which took place over days, since it also involved the staff. When you change coach after five years, it’s inevitable. The idea was to bring in a man with an important factor, like Sarri.
De Martino spoke about the explosive rise of some of the Lazio squad and how some people make judgments too quickly.
Football is beautiful because everyone talks, but as long as the fans do it, it’s fine. The problem is when people make judgements that don’t exist, without considering past experience.
I remember the analysis when Caicedo and Luis Alberto arrived: no one knew the latter when he arrived, he normally had a period of acclimatization because it’s not easy to play for Lazio.
He scored his first goal in Genoa and then became one of the best in Europe in his role. The same goes for Correa, who arrived amid skepticism: after a normal acclimatization period, he turned out to be one of the most sought-after players in the summer market.
I’m not forgetting Immobile, who has found the ideal place in Lazio to express himself at his best.
De Martino touched on how some in the footballing world create unfair doubts about the Biancocelesti, and how the club have looked to address this.
It’s a shame when people in the industry lead the fans to have gratuitous doubts. We’ve opened official channels so that we can have a daily dialogue with the fans, so that we can tell them about Lazio every day.
So, everyone can get an idea of what they see, even with the possibility of expressing their own opinions. This was not possible before, but now it’s taken for granted.
The club makes an effort to provide a product that is often praised more from outside the city than inside, as we receive compliments from all over Italy, with the difference being ten to one. This club achieves important goals within its means, so it’s only right to underline this aspect.
The Biancocelesti communications director touched on how the club looked to tell accurate information and the reasons why its so important to remain honest.
This kind of management of the club is annoying, comparing, for example, our radio and TV with opinion makers is not the right path. We want to tell the real and reliable news, without thinking of commercial reasons.
We do things according to the rules, we are not here to listen but to give a service and tell what happens during the Lazio day.
When we did an in-depth piece on Sarri’s possible pupils, some colleagues pointed out a certain superficiality in interpreting that news, always trying to emphasize that this type of service would have been better done by them.
We have a huge responsibility in the eyes of the people: fans have the merit of being fans, especially Lazio fans. In this city, these colours have given us an important difference in terms of behaviour, a certain type of attitude, and that has always cheered us up, even in difficult times.
Finally, De Martino spoke about the dangers of fake news as well as the possibility of moving from the Stadio Olimpico into the Stadio Flaminio.
We feel a double responsibility, others unfortunately do not. Then there’s the fake news, everything goes around on the web, there are no regulations.
You always have to check the news, for days there have been photos circulating of supposedly official Lazio sites with fake news, made with perfect graphics. You have to follow only the official bodies because unfortunately you can find a bit of everything.
The Flaminio Stadium? For the first time in years, the president has raised this possibility in front of Mayor Raggi. However, we need balance because it’s a delicate issue where we need to think things through in detail.
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