“Act of Love” – Sarri Sides With Lazio Fans, Explains Maldini Choice

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The Laziali

·31 janvier 2026

“Act of Love” – Sarri Sides With Lazio Fans, Explains Maldini Choice

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri defended the club’s supporters who chose to vacate their seats at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday’s game against Genoa.

Lazio Earn Hard-Fought Win Over Genoa

The Biancocelesti earned a dramatic victory over the Grifone, who pulled off a remarkable comeback from 0-2 to 2-2, but were eventually undone by a last-gasp penalty kick courtesy of Danilo Cataldi. However, the post-match celebrations were dampened by the almost empty stadium.

Vidéos OneFootball

Lazio Fans Chose to Boycott the Match

The pre-match talk was dominated by the war cry from the organized fan groups, who urged all Lazio supporters to boycott the match as a protest against the management’s trajectory, whom they accuse of systematically weakening the team.

Maurizio Sarri Describes Fan Boycott as an Act of Love

The vast majority of the fan base answered the call, much to the dismay of Claudio Lotito and the club directors, who tried their best to convince the fans to attend the match. But while the Lazio president accused the ultras of carrying unsavory motives, Sarri insisted it was done out of love in his post-match chat with the journalists (via Il Messaggero).

Lazio live in an environment surrounded by infinite love, and tonight’s demonstration was yet another declaration of affection. I’m used to seeing the Olimpico with our fans. Tonight it conveyed sadness, but I know it was an act of love. I’m happy for the lads. The team weren’t serene and it showed in the first half-hour—we were attentive but tense. The end of the first half and the start of the second we played well, raising the intensity. A serene team would have closed the game without conceding, but I was sure we’d concede the equaliser. In the final stages I saw great spirit; I’m proud of the boys.

Player Ratings: Lazio 3-2 Genoa – Isaksen Makes the Difference

Sarri applauded his players, who were able to dig deep and get an important result despite the challenging circumstances, while reserving special praise for the underrated Cataldi.

These have been difficult weeks, but the team delivered an important response on a night without supporters. Cataldi took responsibility once again—he’s ice-cold from the spot. Overall, he’s an underrated player who, with a bit more engine, could have had a career at even higher levels.

Sarri Opens Up on Alessio Romagnoli Case

The manager discussed the Alessio Romagnoli transfer saga, while insisting that he has no role to play in the eventual decision

In Lecce, regarding Alessio, I made only a technical assessment, highlighting his habit of carrying out my requests on the pitch. Then the market is handled by the club. Would it be useful for me to keep him? The player I know—yes. The club know that for me Romagnoli is an added value, as Guendouzi was.

Sarri on Daniel Maldini, Ratkov & Taylor

Sarri decided to field Daniel Maldini as a centre-forward on his Lazio debut, as he’s convinced he has the right attributes to lead the line, although he must make a few adjustments to his game.

I had the need and the desire to test Daniel in that role. He has good technique and great physicality, he’s very good at linking play and adding quality, but he must improve the speed of ball movement and attacking the box. Ratkov doesn’t have four years of Serie A behind him; he comes from a different footballing culture, he’s a penalty-area striker, and we have to wait for his development. Taylor played in a league with a month-long winter break; when he arrived he was coming off a period of inactivity. He has room to grow.