New Coach Simone Inzaghi assured he is “ready” to lead Lazio and reveals how he’s been inspired by brother Pippo.
Stefano Pioli was sacked after Sunday’s 4-1 Derby della Capitale defeat to Roma and replaced by Primavera youth team boss Inzaghi to the end of the season.
“It is a wonderful sensation, today is my 40th birthday and soon we’re going to step on to the field for our first training session,” Simone told Lazio Style Radio.
New Coach Simone Inzaghi assured he is “ready” to lead Lazio and reveals how he’s been inspired by brother Pippo.
Stefano Pioli was sacked after Sunday’s 4-1 Derby della Capitale defeat to Roma and replaced by Primavera youth team boss Inzaghi to the end of the season.
“It is a wonderful sensation, today is my 40th birthday and soon we’re going to step on to the field for our first training session,” Simone told Lazio Style Radio.
The team was also thrown into a training retreat at Norcia to help get this campaign back on track.
“It is a bit of a strange moment, but I’ve seen the lads are ready to work. There’s no problem and I am ready!”
Inzaghi gave another interview to French site sofoot.com about his life and career, which inevitably had the shadow of brother Pippo looming over it.
“The first time I played alongside my brother for Italy it was a friendly in Barcelona against Spain. A few months later we were together again in a friendly with England.
“I came off the bench for Alessandro Del Piero, so Pippo and I formed the strike partnership of the Nazionale for 10 minutes. It was an incredible moment, but I think our parents were the happiest of all.
“Pippo and I never had the chance to play in the same club. It’s a pity, as we could’ve made a good partnership because we have different playing styles. He was more of a fox in the box, which is why he scored three times as many goals as I did!
“I retired at 34 because I started to have really bad physical problems. In fact, from the age of 24 onwards I didn’t play very much. Maybe it was fate.
“I am happy with my career and now that I’ve retired my back leaves me in peace. I had already agreed at the time with (President Claudio) Lotito and (director Igli) Tare to become a youth team Coach at Lazio.
“Before this Serie A job I won three Primavera youth titles, two editions of the Coppa Italia and a SuperCup. It all went very well.”
Pippo went into Serie A management before Simone, but lasted only one season at Milan.
“He has taken a sabbatical. He is continuing to study and preparing to take another spot on the bench next season. My home is that both our careers are full of success.
“As kids we used to read La Gazzetta dello Sport every day, spending time reading the line-ups. We grew up in San Nicolò, five minutes from Piacenza. It was at Piacenza we started playing in the youth academy all the way up to the first team, him in Serie B and me in Serie A.
“Pippo was always my inspiration and not just when we were kids, but also when I became a football player.”
Image via sslazio.it