Sarri Responds to Lotito: ”A Player Cried in My Office, Replacing Romagnoli Is Impossible”

Following the stalemate in Lecce, Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri resumed his public spat with club president Claudio Lotito.

The Background

The Biancocelesti produced a lukewarm showing at the Via del Mare, settling for a goalless draw. The match was somewhat overshadowed by the transfer market frenzy. In an alleged phone call with an irritated Lazio supporter, Lotito had blamed Sarri for the ongoing exodus, claiming that the players don’t want to work under the Tuscan manager.

Maurizio Sarri Responds to Claudio Lotito’s Accusations

The two men had been embroiled in an unsavoury back-and-forth media altercation, so Sarri took the opportunity to respond to the patron while talking to the media following Saturday’s contest (via La Lazio Siamo Noi). The 67-year-old insisted that his presence is not the issue, revealing how a player was reduced to tears while bidding him farewell.

There’s no need to respond to that. Ten days ago, a player left and came to my office crying. I have no problem with the players. Of course, when 15 out of 25 players play, there’s always someone unhappy, but that’s not the issue.

If you sell a player and say he didn’t get along with Sarri, I find it unfair, especially since the players who left said something completely different to me. They said they want to leave because they see no ambition in the club. Something needs to be done on the transfer window, but it’s not up to me.

The unnamed player is most likely Matteo Guendouzi, whom Sarri insists that the club hasn’t replaced, despite Kenneth Taylor’s arrival.

I expect some additional signings; Guendouzi was never replaced. Taylor was a complementary player to Guendouzi, not a replacement. We’re in limbo.

What do I expect from this final part of the season? We’re safe from relegation at least. We’ve always had little chance of qualifying for Europe, and now we’ve lost a couple of key players. We need to be realistic and move forward.

Lazio About to Lose Irreplaceable Alessio Romagnoli

The former Napoli and Chelsea coach also opened up on Alessio Romagnoli’s imminent departure, insisting that the backline is now expected to leak more goals after losing its marshal.

If Romagnoli leaves, we’ll start conceding a few more goals. The club asked me what I thought, and I told them it was unthinkable, then they’ll take care of the transfer window. Replacing him at this time is impossible; he’s the one who leads my defense.

It would take months to pass on what he knows to a new player.

Player Ratings: Lecce 0-0 Lazio –– Romagnoli Leaves with Head Held High

While the Lazio management claims to be rejuvenating the squad, Sarri insists he only cares about quality, regardless of the players’ ages.

I don’t care about age; if there’s quality, age doesn’t matter to me.

Sarri Staying at Lazio Until June

Despite all the difficulties and the strained relationship with the hierarchy, Sarri reiterated his desire to see out the campaign.

I’ve said many things to the Lazio fans. I said I’d do everything this season and accept any compromise because I made a promise and I’m keeping it, given the great love they’re showing me, which is priceless.

Lazio has a huge history, you can’t understand it from the outside. It’s an unconditional love, you can only understand it from the inside