End of Tudor Era Proves Worrying Direction of Lazio Project

The dramatic resignation of Igor Tudor is a significant concern for the future of the Lazio project under President Claudio Lotito. The 2023-24 season was not a simple one in the Italian capital; it started under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri, who had impressed during his first two campaigns in charge, even if the team failed to lift a trophy or secure a spot in the Champions League.

A key problem was the lack of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who left Lazio for the riches of Saudi Arabia last year. This was a disaster for the coach and the club. The Serbian midfielder was the beating heart of the squad and his departure left Sarri in a tough spot, removing his strongest asset. A sale of that nature should’ve prompted Lotito to invest in a strong replacement, but instead, he preferred to bring in a handful of adequate but not particularly exciting players, like Matteo Guendouzi, Gustav Isaksen and Valentin Castellanos. To watch some of the club’s stars in action during EURO 2024, check out Livefootballtickets.

Maurizio Sarri’s Resignation & The Appointment of Igor Tudor

Sarri tried to make things work for Lazio this season, but it quickly became apparent that the clock was not ticking at the same rate as before, with significant mechanical issues plaguing his ability to move the project forward. He wasn’t helped by Ciro Immobile’s disastrous form and Luis Alberto’s endless emotional issues.

In March, the Italian tactician surprised everyone by resigning following a painful defeat to Udinese, and here Lotito made the right choice, bringing in Tudor. The Croatian coach impressed in his last two jobs with Olympique Marseille and Hellas Verona, and his appointment should’ve signalled the start of a new era.

It didn’t. At this point, I don’t think any Lazio fans expect much from Lotito except puzzling public statements, frustrating levels of penny-pinching and a greater focus on his political career than the football club he chose to purchase two decades ago.

Looking at how things have gone at Inter over the last few years, it’s apparent that the work of Simone Inzaghi helped paper over the cracks in Rome, combined with Milinkovic-Savic’s quality, Luis Alberto’s creativity and Immobile’s goals.

Igor Tudor Parts Ways With Lazio

Now, in June 2024, we have none of that. Tudor could’ve started a new project, there’s no doubt about that, but he wanted sweeping changes in the summer, something that would’ve required hard work from Sporting Director Angelo Fabiani and investment from Lotito.

Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen, and now Lazio fans will likely have to accept the appointment of Marco Baroni, whose time at Hellas Verona was decent but still not enough to show any promise for a new era, leaving the club in the dark once again.