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Lazio, Sarri: "Next season will be another fresh start. I have a contract. Tomorrow I’ll be going down to the Curva."

The Lazio manager speaks ahead of the match against Milan at the Olimpico

Maurizio Sarri, Lazio’s manager, spoke at a press conference on the eve of the match against Milan at the Olimpico, where the full complement of Biancocelesti supporters will be back in attendance for the occasion. Below are the most interesting excerpts, as reported by lalaziosiamonoi.it.

The fans will be back at the stadium tomorrow: is that an extra incentive?

“Both the fans and I, as well as the lads, are all delighted to be playing in front of our own people and in a full stadium. On behalf of myself and the players, we thank them; we hope to show our gratitude on the pitch too, despite it being an extremely difficult match. It’s a strong motivation for us, partly because motivation can be a risk factor, and we need to find it through our own internal goals. This team has had a couple of bad games, but in terms of commitment and dedication, they can’t really be faulted. I expect to see that confirmed, and perhaps even more. In the last match, our mentality was spot on; we finished strongly, but we need to eliminate a few moments of passivity in the middle.

On Milan:

"Milan have very distinct characteristics; they can catch you out even when they don’t seem to be in control of the match. They possess great technical and physical qualities. It’s a match in which we mustn’t give them space; they have devastating bursts of pace. However, we mustn’t let them get into the box – tactically, it’s extremely difficult."

Injury list:

"We’re currently testing Patric and Taylor; we’ll see when we finalise our plans. We’ll keep trying with Romagnoli until tomorrow morning, but the situation isn’t exactly straightforward."

The fans invited her down to the North Stand.
“They’ve had an influence on past decisions too, not just future ones. This is an environment I like, I like the people, we’re on the same wavelength. They’ll have an influence. The fact that they want to say goodbye to me pleases me; I don’t usually go out of respect for my players – they’re the ones who should have the ‘stage’. I think I’ll go tomorrow, though.”
Did you expect Modric to be like this?
"Modric is a model of humility, someone who, at his age, throws himself back into the game completely and does so with tremendous dedication."
How is Zaccagni doing?
"He’s had a difficult season, which began with an operation and continued with problems. To be honest, he’s improved in recent matches; I hope for a good end to the season – he deserves it for the way he’s responded."
Fabiani has said he wants to continue with Sarri in the three-year project. What will influence Sarri’s decision at the end of the season?
"Fabiani has stated the facts: I have a long-term contract. That’s the situation. If the club isn’t happy, or if I’m not, then we’ll discuss it, but there’s no debate today. Another ‘year zero’ is on the cards; there are many players whose contracts are expiring. If they aren’t renewed soon, I imagine they’ll reach agreements with other clubs. Let’s see how the club wants to rebuild. I’m at Lazio, and in many ways I’m very happy here. That’s the contract.”
Can Maldini play on the wing?
"Maldini has certain qualities; he can’t play as a winger like me. Then again, it’s clear that with 15 minutes to go, he can do it too."
A short while ago you spoke of another ‘year zero’; before the Atalanta game you’d spoken of the need for a ‘year one’. The question is: is Sarri ready for another year zero?
"Ideally, it would be a 'year one', but the situation suggests otherwise. I have a contract in place; if the club tells me otherwise, that they don’t want to continue, I’ll have to reassess. Otherwise, this is the situation."

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