Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri criticized club president Claudio Lotito for the team's poor situation, highlighting the empty stadium during their match against Udinese. The match ended in a 3-3 draw, overshadowed by ongoing fan protests against Lotito.
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Sarri Blames Lotito for āDepressingā Lazio Situation: āHeās Sticking to His Gunsā
Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri fired a new attack on club president Claudio Lotito, as the team continues to play at a virtually empty stadium.
This was the case once more on Monday evening when the Biancocelesti hosted Udinese in the final fixture of Serie A Matchday 34. The two sides played out a thrilling back-and-forth contest that ended in a 3-3 draw. However, the occasion was ruined by the lack of supporters in the stands due to the ongoing fan protest against the increasingly unpopular president.
In his post-match interview with DAZN (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Sarri blamed Lotito and his stubborn stance for the unpleasant situation.
You should ask the president. Heās sticking to his guns. Itās clear he wonāt be swayed by anyone. I donāt even know how it can be sorted out at the moment, but honestly, playing like this is starting to get depressing. After two or three months, it really begins to weigh on you. Itās not sustainable in the long run. I donāt know who will have the strength to fix it. Iām worried. itās not enjoyable playing with 5,000 people in a 70,000-seat stadium, even if those who come still manage to support us. I spoke to the players after the warm-up, and they were a bit down about the situation too. Itās a situation thatās costing us points, even if I canāt say how many.
Maurizio Sarri blamed Claudio Lotito for the 'depressing' situation at Lazio, citing the lack of support from fans due to ongoing protests against the president.
The Lazio vs. Udinese match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, despite the disappointing turnout of fans in the stadium.
Fans are protesting against Claudio Lotito due to his unpopular decisions and management style, which they believe have negatively impacted the club.
Attendance at Lazio matches has been severely affected, with many games played in front of nearly empty stadiums due to fan protests against the club president.
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It should be noted that the organized fan groups will attend the Coppa Italia final against Inter Milan on May 13, but will skip the Derby della Capitale against Roma the following weekend.
In the post-match press conference (via Il Messaggero), Sarri felt that his players were too tired following the 120 minutes played at Bergamo in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday, while reiterating that the clubās campaign has been hampered by injuries and refereeing mistakes.
We came in with our physical and mental energy at rock bottom; we only started playing after half an hour. We paid for the physical gap in terms of speed and size. But the real problem was failing to score the 3ā1 (through Dele-Bashiru), because in the end we had nothing left and lost every duel. Still, Iāll take the great reaction from my team. We are a team thatās growing. Weāve had a lot of injuries that have cost us points, just like refereeing errors. I canāt quantify them, but Iām certain of it. Weāre playing with a thin squad. All these factors could have led to a different position in the table.
Finally, Sarri provided positive updates on Mario Gila and Mattia Zaccagni, but fears Danilo Cataldi could be out for a while.
Within a few days, both Gila and Zaccagni could be back. Marioās injury comes down to this ankle hematoma, because tests didnāt show any lesions. For Mattia itās just overload after the 103 minutes he played against Atalanta. Speaking with the doctor, they seem like two manageable issues. Cataldi has a bit more of a problem; weāll see if thereās a chance to recover him.