Lazio president Claudio Lotito lamented his club’s shocking collapse against Inter Milan, but tried to pick up the positives.
The Background
The two sides arrived to Monday’s big contest on par on points (albeit with the Nerazzurri having an extra match in hand). So while the reigning Serie A champions were naturally the favorites, the most reliable bookmakers, like the ones found here, were displaying relatively close odds. After all the Biancocelesti were riding high on confidence after back-to-back victories over Napoli in the Coppa Italia and then in the league, followed by a dashing display against Ajax in Amsterdam.
A Night to Forget
Nevertheless, Lazio endured one of their most miserable nights in recent years, suffering a nightmare defeat in front of their loyal supporters at the Stadio Olimpico. Marco Baroni’s men wasted a few early chances through Tijjani Noslin, and Inter eventually broke the deadlock before adding a quick second before halftime.
Difficult Circumstances
Moreover, all circumstances played against the home side. Mario Gila felt dizzy in the first half, and his replacement Samuel Gigot then took blows to the head which prompted a quick exit at half-time, forcing Lazio to field a makeshift backline with Adam Marusic playing at centre-back. The Montenegrin had a miserable showing in this unconventional position as Inter ran riots inside Lazio’s areas, scoring another four goals to register an astonishing 6-0 win.
Claudio Lotito Comments on Shocking Lazio Defeat
For his part, Lotito loathed seeing his team getting dismantled in front of his own eyes, but suggested an occasional slap could be useful while chatting with journalists during an event in Rome (via La Lazio Siamo Noi).
It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, but a dose of humility is always useful to start again with greater enthusiasm and concentration. It was certainly an unparalleled match, we lost two central defenders. Furthermore, in the first 35 minutes Lazio were putting Inter in great difficulty.
This is the most resounding defeat I have experienced in twenty years. Of course, the team fell apart afterwards, but it must be a way to reflect and bring everyone back down to earth.
Marco Baroni’s Tactics
The Lazio patron also defended his head coach Marco Baroni who took full responsibility for the defeat, lauding him for his approach, although he felt a different tactical setup could have been adopted.
Baroni took responsibility and did well, that’s his job. He’s the one who chooses the tactical set-up, not me. Surely, facing Inter in those conditions, maybe changing the setup would have been more useful. Yesterday was a strange game, we shouldn’t worry about it.
Let’s think about recovering and see how the team reacts to the next game. You all saw it yesterday, we didn’t have Castellanos and Romagnoli.
