Lazio, Sarri: I stayed for love, elsewhere I'd have left | OneFootball

Lazio’s start to the season hasn’t shone: two wins, three losses, and one draw. After the break, the Biancocelesti will face Atalanta away, in a delicate match that Maurizio Sarri will have to tackle still in an emergency situation.

Lazio, Sarri unfiltered: “I stayed only for love, if I had been at other clubs I would have left”

“The current Lazio depends on the players available, both in choices and in the system. We played in Genoa and against Torino without many players, a difficult situation especially after the summer problems.”

On the match against Atalanta: “The game tomorrow is important, but you can’t give it an exaggerated significance. We know what kind of league we have to face: very difficult. We need to be humble, and the whole environment needs to be as well. Atalanta is similar to last year’s team with Gasperini, a squad with great values.”

Injury emergency and squad management

Sarri gave an update on the injured players: “They are all borderline situations. Many only did a light training session today. Some we’ll start from the beginning, others during the match. Many problems are pre-existing: Dia has an ankle issue, Marusic has aggravated an old scar from three years ago, Zaccagni is coming off a tough summer after surgery.”

The coach explained how these absences affect players’ minutes and tactical choices.

Transfer market and future prospects

On the winter transfer window, Sarri is cautious but ready to discuss with the management: “I spoke with the sporting director and he told me that probably in January we could intervene, but these are all situations to be evaluated calmly.”

Attitude on the pitch: humility and spirit of sacrifice

The coach insists on the team’s mental approach: “I talk about humility because the situation is difficult and it will become even more complicated. Humility and the spirit of sacrifice will be fundamental, but it must not turn into accepting defeat. We’re facing a strong team, but we have to play our game.”

The performance of some young players has been particularly positive: “Cancellieri has started to make use of his qualities: he needs to move the ball quickly and attack the spaces, that way he becomes dangerous. Isaksen came back from the Danish national team with numbers we didn’t like, which is why we used him little. Now he’s returning to good levels, especially in explosiveness.”

Sarri: the strength to stay for the love of Lazio

Maurizio Sarri also spoke about his bond with the club: “I stayed only for love. If I had been at another club, I would have left. They had me sign the contract and then told me about the block, but I still have a lot of strength and desire to help the team grow.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.