Sarri: ‘I felt cheated, but leaving Lazio would be unfair’ over transfer embargo | OneFootball

Maurizio Sarri admits he felt ‘cheated’ by President Claudio Lotito after finding out about the transfer embargo, but would not go back on his ‘promise’ to return to Lazio. ‘I was angry for an hour.’

The coach had left in March 2024 when dealing with family problems and took time out, but was ready for a comeback and decided to pick up where he left off at the Stadio Olimpico.

It was only after signing the contract that he realised the club had failed three financial stress tests, so would not be allowed to sign any new players this summer, not even free agents.

FLORENCE, ITALY – JANUARY 29: Maurizio Sarri during the “Panchina d’Oro” award season 2022/2023 at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on January 29, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

What did he think when first told of the news?

“I thought the President had cheated me,” said Sarri with a wink and a laugh in today’s press conference, which was also attended by Lotito.

“I had already made the decision to return, so leaving due to these difficulties seemed unfair on the club and its fans. I was angry for an hour, then had to put it all to one side. I had made a choice, I read somewhere that I came back to Lazio because I had no other alternatives, but the truth is I negotiated with four Italian clubs, plus teams in Saudi Arabia and South America.

“It was a prolific summer when it came to talks, but I chose Lazio for my rapport with the environment, including the kit staff.”

Lazio facing fresh difficulties with Sarri

Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri looks on prior to the Italian Serie A football match between Torino and Lazio, on August 20, 2022 at the stadio Olimpico in Turin. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Sarri is determined not to use the transfer embargo as an excuse to aim low, especially because he has more time than ever to train his men now that they have failed to qualify for any UEFA tournaments.

“I told the lads from the first day, either they use alibis, or they can use these problems as extra motivation. We must make improvements, Lazio finished in seventh place for two years in a row and we cannot improve on the market, so we must fight every day to improve the individuals we have here.”

There were marches in the street to protest against President Lotito’s tenure, yet figures released today confirm season ticket sales for Lazio have gone up.

“I said that the Lazio spirit invades you and this is the proof once again. The fans get angry, but then they are still there. This is one of the reasons why I came back here,” added Sarri.

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri reacts during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg between Lazio and Bayern Munich at the Olympic stadium on February 14, 2024 in Rome. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Looking back at his decision, would the coach have accepted a return to Lazio if he had known they were not able to sign any new players?

“Life is made of choices, you can never know what effects other decisions would have. In that sense, I try to never look back or ponder on what I didn’t do. At that point, my only choice was whether to stay or not, and I felt it was right to remain so we could all face these difficulties together.”

At the same time, Sarri warns that he cannot promise any great ambitions for this Lazio team.

“My only responsibility is to give my all for these people. I cannot guarantee results, nor buy players worth €100m. I can only guarantee my professionalism and put my soul into this. We need the fans on side too, they can criticise all week if they want to, but we need them 100 per cent behind us during the games.”