Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri is happy with the squad’s growth following their 1-0 win over Udinese last night.
Speaking in an interview with Italian radio broadcaster Lazio Style Radio (via LazioNews24) after the game, the 63-year-old Italian coach first commented on his coming together with Udinese’s Ignacio Pussetto.
I didn’t realise Pussetto was coming at me. Let’s say he tested me, but despite the 40-year difference, I got up first.
The Lazio coach analysed the tough victory over Udinese.
We could have broken the deadlock earlier. We had a good first half, while in the second half it became a more physical game. When you don’t score against these teams it becomes difficult.
Compared to the league game, we didn’t give away any space. I liked the spirit of the team, especially those who took to the pitch.
Sarri discussed the physical conditions of Pedro and Mattia Zaccagni, as well as the upcoming Atalanta match.
Zaccagni has an ankle problem, while Pedro has a muscle complaint. We’ll see how much energy we can recover, but I think Zaccagni is the only one who can be risked.
The fixtures are strange. We play this week and Atalanta the week before. It’s a bit of a gamble with the fixtures so close together.
The 63-year-old Italian coach highlighted the growth of the squad in recent weeks.
In this moment we are more determined and we have more desire. That’s why I continue to see signs of growth. We’ve done well in terms of quality and aggression.
He touched on his decision to start Vedat Muriqi over Ciro Immobile.
He hasn’t played for a while. He did well in the first half but then he dropped a bit.
Ciro had a problem with an old scar. It wasn’t logical to let him play the whole game.
Finally, Sarri discussed this month’s transfer window and the club’s ambitions.
If it were up to me to spend even a billion and a half there is no problem. This is a careful club and therefore will never do a one-off session and I knew that before coming here.
Let’s see what we can do and what will happen. The important thing is that the club is mentally prepared to help us grow.
Lazio’s Coppa Italia over Udinese last nights means they’ve qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition, where they’ll face Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan, who beat Genoa last week to progress. The Biancocelesti came out on top the last time these two teams met in the cup in 2019.
