Coppa Italia final: Why a Lazio win will mean the world to Maurizio Sarri | OneFootball

Lazio haven’t had the smoothest of rides in Serie A this season. In a lot of ways, it has been another chaotic season which has been filled with off-pitch worries and on-pitch trouble. 

Despite that, they find themselves in a Coppa Italia final, going past Atalanta in the previous round.

Maurizio Sarri has had a lot to say about the situation of the club himself. That has especially stood true since December onwards, when Lazio were forced to sell players and this became public knowledge. The summer transfer window ban didn’t help him, as the start of the campaign was plagued by one injury after another.

After a point, the Italian couldn’t quite take it. Soon, Taty Castellanos and Matteo Guendouzi left, causing further alarm at a club in a bit of a financial crisis. While Kenneth Taylor’s signing has reaped rewards, the incomings didn’t always make Sarri happy, as Petar Ratkov’s arrival was constantly questioned by the Italian.

He was quick to make it clear that he was never quite his signing and it was Claudio Lotito and the scouting team that roped in the Serbian. That was obviously not going down well with the club owner, who became the subject of protests at the Stadio Olimpico. Despite this chaos, Sarri has marched on, surviving one blow after another.

There have constantly been question marks about his future too. Links with Napoli have never gone away, amidst suggestions that the marriage with Lazio is simply one of convenience and would end, if the Roman side pay Sarri’s compensation.

That is why winning silverware at the end of a season full of suffering would be incredible. It would also be a fitting reminder of the Italian has adapted to the scenarios all the time, despite the setbacks and troubles. 

Even for Sarri himself, it would send a message to possible suitors. Question marks about his suitability at the highest level have been quick to arise and silverware would show that he is still very much relevant in the game.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN