Maurizio Sarri resigns! Lazio boss departs Serie A giants after Harry Kane's Bayern Munich dump Eagles out of Champions League

The Italian coach informed the Serie A club on Tuesday afternoon that he would not be continuing as head coach, reports Fabrizio Romano, and he steps down with immediate effect. That decision comes after the Eagles threw away a one-goal advantage from the first leg to exit the Champions League round of 16 last Tuesday. England captain Harry Kane inspired Die Roten to a 3-0 win on the night and a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Sarri became Lazio boss in June 2021, following a season each at Chelsea and Juventus and a brief sabbatical after leaving the Old Lady. That means the Italian boss spent almost as much time at the Rome club as he did with Napoli, where he made a name for himself between 2015 and 2018. Despite picking up no trophies during his two-and-a-half years with the Eagles, Sarri celebrated several thrilling derby victories and brought his side back into Champions League qualification.

Despite some impressive work early in his Lazio career, success has tailed off in recent months. That defeat to Bayern forms part of a four-match losing streak across all competitions, with the Eagles picking up just three wins from 11 matches since mid-January. Lazio are out of Europe and are a dismal 9th in Serie A, although they are still alive in the Coppa Italia where they face Sarri's former employers Juventus in the semi-final.

That they still have silverware to play for makes Sarri's decision a surprising one, even given their poor standing in the league and exit from Europe. It is unclear now whether the Italian coach will take a break from the game or form an ever-growing list of managers available in the summer market. His former club Chelsea could be on the lookout for a new boss should they decide to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino.