Palladino & Former AC Milan Coach Emerge as Favorites to Replace Sarri at Lazio | OneFootball

With Maurizio Sarri seemingly on his way out, Raffaele Palladino and Sergio Conceicao are now considered the main candidates for the Lazio hot seat.

Antonio Conte to Leave Napoli

Over the past few days, several sources in the Italian media have been expecting Antonio Conte to part ways with Napoli. The Lecce native’s exit will spark a domino effect, beginning with Sarri, who is the ultimate favorite to replace him at the Stadio Maradona.

Maurizio Sarri Expected to Replace Conte at Napoli

Il Messaggero confirms that the 67-year-old is destined to leave Lazio, especially following Claudio Lotito’s recent statements. The Biancocelesti president insisted that no one at the club is indispensable when answering a question regarding the manager’s future.

As the newspaper put it, Sarri has been given a choice: Either he sticks around and accepts Lotito’s transfer strategy, or he should find himself a new club. Needless to say, the Tuscan manager has made up his mind, but he won’t resign from his post before he secures himself an agreement in Napoli. Therefore, the next few days should bear major developments on this front.

Raffaele Palladino & Sergio Conceicao the Favorites for Lazio Job

In the meantime, Lazio have begun their search for a new head coach. Il Messaggero believes that Palladino and Conceicao are the current frontrunners, even though both men are tied to other clubs.

The 42-year-old Italian took over at Atalanta last November. However, the club is about to appoint Cristiano Giuntoli as the new sporting director, and the latter might decide to start with a clean slate, thus sending Palladino packing. The former Juventus player had impressive stints at Monza and Fiorentina in recent years, and is considered one of the best young managers in Serie A.

Could Conceicao Return to Lazio?

For his part, Conceicao is a familiar face at Lazio, having had two stints at the club during his playing days. The 51-year-old enjoyed a long and successful managerial tenure at Porto between 2017 and 2024, but endured a rough six months at Milan last season.

The Portuguese is currently tied to Al-Ittihad with a contract valid until 2028, but the Saudi giants might be willing to release him after a disappointing campaign.

The Other Lazio Candidates

The source also mentions three other profiles in Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso, Cagliari’s Fabio Pisacane, and Gennaro Gattuso, who is currently unattached after leaving the Italian national team following another failed World Cup qualification campaign.