Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri outlined the team’s tactical approach for the Coppa Italia Final against Inter, but more emphatically declared that his team should “refuse to show up” if the Rome Derby is scheduled for a midday kick-off on Sunday.
Lazio entered the Final as underdogs, particularly given their recent 3-0 defeat to the same opponents in Serie A just the week prior.
The match became an uphill battle early on due to two significant errors. Adam Marusic inadvertently scored an own goal from a Federico Dimarco corner, and Nuno Tavares was caught out of position, allowing Denzel Dumfries to set up Lautaro Martinez for an easy tap-in.
Sarri was unable to manage from the sidelines due to a touchline ban, with his assistant Marco Ianni occupying the bench.
Sarri Frustrated by Lazio’s Errors
Sarri explained to Sport Mediaset, “We had prepared the match by lowering our press in the first half, as we noticed on Saturday that Inter were less aggressive in the second half, a level they couldn’t sustain for 90 minutes.”
“Unfortunately, during an otherwise very organized first half, we gifted Inter both goals and made everything more difficult for ourselves. We tried to get back on track, we had chances with Noslin and Dia, but were unable to convert them.”
“We were well aware that Inter were technically stronger than us, but we had hoped the game would take a different path tonight.”
Patric was deployed in midfield again to cover for the not-fully-fit Nicolò Rovella. While Rovella’s introduction at halftime did improve matters, Sarri revealed, “Thinking about the game long-term, we couldn’t start Rovella because he was out for most of the season and has only been training regularly for 10 days. Honestly, I had hoped the Final would last 120 minutes rather than 90, but then Patric had a calf issue, so we decided to make a change at halftime.”
This Coppa Italia Final represented Lazio’s last opportunity to qualify for the Europa League, having struggled to maintain a top-10 position in Serie A. With Inter already secured in the Champions League, the fifth and sixth-placed teams in Serie A will now qualify for the Europa League, and seventh place will earn a spot in the Conference League.
Regarding his future at Lazio, Sarri stated, “I have zero interest in my future at this moment. Besides, if it is under discussion, it is on both sides.” This implied that the desire for change might originate from him rather than the club.
“I am sad for the lads, because they looked troubled in the dressing room. I’m sorry for the fans, who returned here in numbers, but we had a great journey to get here. We were up against a very strong opponent who won deservedly, with a little help from us too.”
“My team was not timid; we simply chose not to press them too high because their goalkeeper’s passes kept catching us out. If you concede an own goal from a corner and gift another on the edge of your area, there’s not much about tactics there. We chose not to attack them from the start.”
A positive note from the evening was the return of Lazio fans to the Stadio Olimpico, ending their months-long boycott of home games, which was directed at President Claudio Lotito, not the players or coach.
Lazio’s next match is the Derby della Capitale against Roma. However, the timing remains uncertain due to a dispute between Lega Serie A and local authorities, with a potential midday slot on Sunday or an evening match on Monday.
“My feeling is that I will come on Monday, but if they want to play the derby at midday on a Sunday, I’m not coming. They can do it themselves,” Sarri declared.
“This is a series of errors made by Lega Serie A. They organized the Turin Derby around the ATP tennis finals in Turin, then the Rome Derby when the Italian Open is on in Rome.”
“These were their mistakes, and I agree with the local authorities, so I hope we play on Monday. If I were the President of Lazio, I wouldn’t even show up with the squad on Sunday. It makes no difference to us either way; we’ll incur point penalties. I wouldn’t go.”
“They make a series of incredible errors, and nobody takes responsibility or apologizes. I doubt I’d keep a job if I made three or four mistakes per day. They can’t pretend this is normal. There are five teams playing games that are worth €90 million for their futures; you can’t make them play at midday. This is not football.”
The five Serie A matches need to be played simultaneously to ensure fairness in the race for Champions League qualification. However, the Rome Derby was scheduled for the same afternoon as the Italian Open men’s singles tennis tournament final. Both venues are within the same complex, the Foro Italico, which would lead to thousands of fans in the same area.