Lazio sporting director Igli Tare spoke in front of the cameras ahead of Lazio’s potential title-deciding fixture against Inter at San Siro on Sunday morning, where he admitted the Biancocelesti would do their best to put Napoli’s title celebrations on hold.
The 49-year-old confessed that Napoli are set to win the Serie A title, but insisted that Laizo have plenty of important factors of their own to focus on in the coming weeks, particularly in securing Champions League football for next season.
“I think it is right to play these top level games at the right times, but at the same time we have our objectives, so I share Sarri’s position. Napoli will probably win the Scudetto, but we will try to win this game and postpone the celebration a little longer,” Tare told Sky Sport Italia.
“This will be a decisive week in the race for the Champions League places. Our objective first and foremost is not just Champions League qualification, but also maintaining second place, as that would help boost the mental strength and confidence of this group. Improving on second is difficult!
“However, having said that, our planning for the future continues regardless of Champions League qualification.”
Lazio slipped to their first defeat in nine league matches against Torino in their most recent Serie A fixture as Ivan Ilic’s shot slipped past Ivan Provedel into the Lazio net, an effort which the majority of spectators would have expected him to keep out.
Tare was adamant that mistakes can happen to anybody and that Provedel was not solely at fault for the 1-0 loss to Il Toro.
“These things happen in football,” he told Sky. “It wasn’t just Provedel, he was the last in a chain of mistakes building up to the shot. He is an experienced goalkeeper, everyone rushed to embrace him in the locker room, so he has no need to prove his qualities all over again.”