Maurizio Sarri claims Lazio ‘performed a miracle’ by qualifying for the Champions League Round of 16, but blames the media for ‘creating over the top expectations they know full well cannot be met.’
The Aquile and Atletico Madrid have already secured their place in the knockout rounds and go head-to-head tomorrow at the Wanda Metropolitano for first place in the group.
That would, in theory, give them an easier draw in the Round of 16 by facing one of the runners-up in the groups.
However, Sarri was in no mood to celebrate Lazio’s achievement or say they could play without too much pressure in Madrid.
“I don’t know if we have clear heads. This is a stadium everyone wants to play in, where getting a result is very difficult,” Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.
“We performed a miracle in qualifying, now we must try to emerge with another in the last game too. It will be tough, but we must try.”
When it was put to him that Lazio perform better in the Champions League than in Serie A, he became even more irritable.
“We had three wins and a draw in Serie A, people keep acting as if we lost all of them. Unfortunately, the media atmosphere in Rome creates these over the top expectations that they also know full well cannot be met. Whereas I don’t care what they say, the players probably do.”
Is Sarri satisfied with Lazio’s season so far?
“I am satisfied in some ways, not in others. Clearly, the approach means this is Year Zero, so a step backwards can happen.”
There is a huge Serie A match coming up against Inter, so will Lazio rotate the squad reflecting on that fixture?
“I will not reflect on Inter, we will jump head-first into this game. If I was to choose my XI today, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself until tomorrow evening, so I will make my decision tomorrow.”