Sarri: Lazio Should Boycott Midday Rome Derby

Maurizio Sarri detailed Lazio’s tactical strategy for the Coppa Italia Final against Inter. However, his most emphatic statement was that his team should “refuse to show up” if the Rome Derby on Sunday is scheduled to kick off at midday.

Lazio entered the Coppa Italia Final as underdogs, especially given their recent 3-0 defeat to the same Inter side in Serie A just a week prior.

The match became an uphill battle early on due to two significant defensive errors. Adam Marusic unfortunately headed a Federico Dimarco corner into his own net, and shortly after, Nuno Tavares was out of position, allowing Denzel Dumfries to set up Lautaro Martinez for an easy tap-in.

Sarri himself was unable to direct his team from the sidelines due to a touchline ban, with his assistant Marco Ianni taking charge on the bench.

Sarri Frustrated by Lazio’s Errors

“We had prepared for the match by reducing our press in the first half, as we observed that Inter’s intensity dropped in the second half on Saturday, and it wasn’t a level they could sustain for 90 minutes,” Sarri told Sport Mediaset.

“Unfortunately, during what was otherwise a very organized first half, we gifted Inter both goals and made things much harder for ourselves. We attempted to recover, creating chances with Noslin and Dia, but we were unable to convert them.”

“We were fully aware that Inter were technically superior to us, but we had hoped the game would unfold differently tonight.”

Patric was again deployed in midfield to compensate for the absence of Nicolò Rovella, who was not fully fit. While Rovella’s introduction at halftime did improve matters, Sarri explained the initial decision.

“Considering the game in the long term, we couldn’t start Rovella because he had been out for most of the season and had only been training regularly for ten days. Honestly, I had hoped the Final would go to 120 minutes rather than 90, but then Patric suffered a calf issue, so we decided to make the change at halftime,” Sarri revealed.

This Coppa Italia Final represented Lazio’s last opportunity to secure a Europa League spot, as their Serie A campaign had struggled to keep them within the top 10.

Consequently, with Inter already qualified for the Champions League, the fifth and sixth-placed teams in Serie A will now earn Europa League berths, with the seventh-placed team qualifying for the Conference League.

Regarding his future at Lazio, Sarri stated, “I have absolutely no interest in my future at this moment. Besides, if it is being discussed, it is on both sides.”

His comment implied that it wasn’t necessarily Lazio looking to move on from him, but potentially the other way around.

“I am saddened for the lads, as they appeared troubled in the dressing room. I am sorry for the fans, who returned in large numbers, but we had a great journey to get here. We faced a very strong opponent who deserved to win, with a little help from us as well.

“My team was not timid; we simply chose not to press them too high up the pitch because their goalkeeper’s distribution kept catching us out. If you concede an own goal from a corner and gift another on the edge of your own area, there’s not much to say about tactics. We chose not to attack them from the outset.”

One positive aspect of the evening was the return of Lazio fans to the Stadio Olimpico stands, ending their months-long boycott of home games. This protest was primarily directed at President Claudio Lotito, rather than the players or the coach.

Lazio’s next fixture is the Derby della Capitale against Roma. However, its scheduling remains uncertain, with discussions ongoing between Lega Serie A and local authorities regarding whether it will be played at 12:00 local time on Sunday or on Monday evening.

“My feeling is that we will play on Monday, but if they want to play the derby at midday on a Sunday, I will not attend. They can do it themselves,” Sarri declared.

“This is a series of errors made by Lega Serie A; they organized the Turin Derby around the ATP tennis finals in Turin, and now the Rome Derby during the Italian Open in Rome.

“These are their mistakes, and I agree with the local authorities. Therefore, I hope we play on Monday. If I were the President of Lazio, I wouldn’t even bring the squad on Sunday. It makes no difference to us either way, we’ll face point deductions. I wouldn’t go.

“They make a series of incredible errors, and nobody takes responsibility or apologizes. I doubt I would keep my job if I made three or four mistakes per day. They cannot pretend this is normal; there are five teams playing games that are worth €90 million for their futures, and you cannot have them play at midday. This is not football.”

The five Serie A matches in question must be played simultaneously to ensure fairness in the race for Champions League qualification. However, the Rome Derby was scheduled for the same afternoon as the final of the Italian Open men’s singles tennis tournament.

Both sporting venues are situated within the same complex, the Foro Italico, which would have resulted in thousands of fans converging in the same area.