Maurizio Sarri has decided to call it quits at Lazio, ending a three-year spell at the helm. On reflection, was his time in the Italian capital a success?
When the cigarette-loving Italian tactician returned to Serie A back in the summer of 2021, there were many question marks surrounding his place in the modern landscape of Italian football, with some believing coaches like Gian Piero Gasperini and Roberto De Zerbi had shown the next evolution of his beloved fast-moving tactical system.
On a personal level, Sarri had a lot to prove; by the summer of 2021, three years had passed since his memorable time in charge of Napoli, and relatively unconvincing and brief spells at Chelsea and Juventus did little to bolster his reputation, despite lifting silverware with both.
For Lazio, a fresh start was clearly needed after the end of the Simone Inzaghi era. Now high-flying at Inter, the former striker emerged as an exciting coach in the Italian capital and he overachieved considering the resources available, securing a Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
With the stage set then, Sarri and Lazio looked to be an intriguing but obviously volatile partnership; a coach not afraid to speak his mind, a fanbase with lofty expectations and a president whose work is characterised by inexplicable and occasionally useful decisions.
In retrospect, the Italian tactician’s first five games in charge almost perfectly summarised his time in the dugout; convincing and thrilling wins over Empoli 3-1 and Spezia 6-1, a painful 2-0 loss to Milan and frustratingly tight draws with Cagliari 2-2 and Torino 1-1.
Sarri’s Lazio were capable of magical nights, able to be an unstoppable force when everything clicked, but they fell short against teams of a similar or higher calibre, and their draws with the two provincial sides signposted the hot-or-cold nature of his system in the capital.
His first year in charge saw the Biancocelesti finish fifth in the Serie A table, a point ahead of bitter rivals Roma and six behind Juventus, just missing out on Champions League qualification. They didn’t impress in Europe, barely crawling to the Europa League knockout play-offs, and didn’t go far in the Coppa Italia.
Whilst it was seemingly a step back from Inzaghi, it was no secret that Sarri needed time to make things click, and his second season was a far more positive affair, even if the mental blackouts seen in games like the 4-1 loss to Hellas Verona or 4-4 draw with Udinese caused some concern in that debut campaign.
The 2022-23 season saw Lazio finish second in the Serie A table, far off league leaders Napoli but comfortably in the Champions League spots. Again, the team faltered in the cups, and again they suffered from a few baffling results like the 3-1 loss to Salernitana, but things were moving forwards.
In the summer of 2023, things were looking good for Sarri and the Biancocelesti. The project had a clear growth path, the players were happy and the fans were enjoying the highs and lows, but we all know that football is a truly fickle beast and things can change very fast.
At the time of writing, Lazio sit ninth in the Serie A table, far off the top four spots. They did well to progress in the Champions League, but their campaign came to an abrupt end thanks to Bayern Munich, and are still involved in the Coppa Italia, facing Juventus in the semi-final.
Whilst their cup work has been sufficient, their painfully inconsistent form in Serie A showed that Sarri was unable to iron out the problems that had been plaguing them since his arrival, like an over reliance on Ciro Immobile for goals and a lack of mental strength limiting their effectiveness on multiple fronts.
Sarri ultimately oversaw 137 matches in the Lazio dugout, picking up 65 wins, 30 draws and 42 losses. He did not win any trophies during his time at the club, but he did bring them back to the Champions League and tried to instil a stronger mindset in his players, with middling results.
Whether his time in charge was a success or not likely depends on what happens next; if his replacement can find an upswing in form and more solutions on the pitch, then Sarri’s work will look more disappointing in hindsight, but a further collapse would show that he was truly holding things together as best he could amidst the chaos of the capital.
Words: Apollo Heyes
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Failure and overrated manager
5th and then 2nd in his two full seasons. During his two seasons, Lazio have a PLUS net difference when it comes to incomings and departures costs. Simply aren’t financially able to strengthen. Milinkovic Savic going was huge. He got them into the champ league, and lotito bought him taty as his best signing.
Sarri coming 2nd in the league still proves he’s a far better coach than Mourinho, who couldn’t get close to a ECL spot.