Italian media are reporting that former Germany international and Lazio forward Miroslav Klose might be considered for the head coach position should Maurizio Sarri decide to leave the club soon.
Lazio has experienced a disappointing season, despite reaching the Coppa Italia final. They are projected to finish the Serie A season between ninth and eleventh place.
Sarri, who rejoined the club on a two-year contract last summer, has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance during the 2025-26 campaign, casting doubt over his future at the Stadio Olimpico.
“This season’s situation has not pleased me. I haven’t been listened to at all, and I’m far from happy. Perhaps the club isn’t happy either. Let’s finish the season and see if they have anything to say to me,” Sarri stated to reporters after the Derby della Capitale loss against rivals Roma on Sunday.
Italian news outlets are already speculating about Sarri’s future and the potential candidates to succeed him if he departs at the end of the season.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, former Lazio striker Klose is among the candidates being considered to replace Sarri. The all-time leading World Cup goalscorer spent the last five years of his playing career in the Italian capital, scoring 54 Serie A goals in 139 appearances between 2011 and 2016.
Why Klose is an Appealing Option for Lazio
Klose embarked on his managerial career at the start of the 2022-23 season, managing Austrian Bundesliga side Rheindorf Altach before being dismissed in March 2023. After a year off, he took charge of 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg, where he achieved a respectable mid-table finish (10th) in his first season. In the 2025-26 season, despite many predicting relegation, Klose guided Nürnberg to an eighth-place finish, an improvement on their previous performance.
La Gazzetta dello Sport commends Klose for his ability to integrate and develop young talent during his tenure at Nürnberg. His squad in the 2024-25 season was the youngest in Germany’s professional leagues, with an average age of approximately 23.
Nürnberg has also successfully profited from the sale of several young players developed under Klose. Stefanos Tzimas was transferred to Brighton for approximately €25 million in January 2025, Finn Jeltsch was sold to VfB Stuttgart for around €10 million last summer, and Caspar Jandar joined Southampton for €12 million.
Klose also gave Tino Kusanovic his debut for the club at the young age of 17 years and 62 days during his time with Nürnberg, making him the youngest player in the club’s history.
Claudio Lotito, the club’s owner, knows and respects Klose. Lotito is expected to meet with Sarri soon to discuss the coach’s future, but for the moment, the situation remains uncertain.
