Stefano Mauri believes Lazio were ‘too passive’ in defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in last night’s Champions League play-off.
The Biancocelesti were defeated 3-0 by the German side, meaning they were eliminated 3-1 on aggregate and will now contest the Europa League.
“We feel real regret and disappointment over last night,” Mauri told Lazio Style Radio today.
“We didn’t play the way we know we can. The Germans are a good team, as they showed, the regret is because we could have done a lot better.
Stefano Mauri believes Lazio were ‘too passive’ in defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in last night’s Champions League play-off.
The Biancocelesti were defeated 3-0 by the German side, meaning they were eliminated 3-1 on aggregate and will now contest the Europa League.
“We feel real regret and disappointment over last night,” Mauri told Lazio Style Radio today.
“We didn’t play the way we know we can. The Germans are a good team, as they showed, the regret is because we could have done a lot better.
“We didn’t play the game we wanted to play, we were too passive and we got pushed around. They’re a very good team, as I’ve said, but we didn’t show our quality.
“They’re a young, but experienced team who are used to playing in Europe, and that’s what counts. Our lads need time to grow.
“They took the game head-on, always playing with high intensity. We have to look at these teams as an example, and take advantage of this defeat. Now we have to look forward.
“Last season we did really well, getting third place. The play-off is gone now, now we have to find the right attitude and the League is a good place to start. We have to aim for third place to get back into the Champions League.”
Despite the elimination, Mauri assures that the Aquile will redouble their efforts in Serie A and the Europa League.
“We’re still fighting on three front, so we’re not going to let our heads drop. It’s always good to be in European competition, and we want to show we’re a team which is up to the European standard.
“The defeat hurts, but now we want to get a result in Verona and show that yesterday wasn’t the real Lazio.
“The team will pick ourselves up, and we’ll try to have a great campaign. We’ll try to bring the fans some satisfaction, especially in the Europa League.
“So I’d ask them [the fans] to be behind us, because when we’re at the Olimpico it’s like they’re playing with us.”
Lazio won their opening fixture, beating Bologna 2-1, while Roma, Juventus and Milan all dropped points.
Despite this, the veteran forward insists it’s too early to judge how the League will play out.
“The beginning of the season is only indicative up to a certain point. There are so many variables involved. Changes of Coach, new players… the first matches are never indicative.
“It’s no coincidence that after four matches last season, we had three points, but we ended up finishing third. Obviously it’s always positive to get off to a good start, though I must say we could have done much better against Bologna.
“After 2-0 we stopped playing, and we risked a draw at the end.”