Maurizio Sarri has reportedly stepped down as Lazio’s coach amid a series of disappointing performances, leaving the team struggling in their quest for European competition, according to Italian media on Tuesday.
Lazio has neither confirmed nor refuted the reports of Sarri’s resignation when approached by AFP.
The team’s recent 2-1 loss at home to Udinese has placed them seven points behind Atalanta, who currently occupy the Europa Conference League qualifying spot, and eleven points adrift of Bologna’s Champions League qualifying position.
Despite finishing second in the previous season, Lazio now finds themselves in ninth place, having lost 12 out of 28 league games.
Additionally, Sarri’s squad was eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, despite holding a one-goal advantage from the first leg of their round-of-16 encounter.
However, Lazio’s campaign is not yet concluded, as they have secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Italian Cup, where they are set to face Juventus in a two-legged tie.
Sarri, who took a year off after leading Juventus to a league title during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, joined Lazio in 2021.
The 65-year-old coach, renowned for his 2019 Europa League victory with Chelsea, is best known for his tenure at Napoli, where he nearly guided the team to a Serie A triumph in 2018.
