According to reports from Italian media on Tuesday, Maurizio Sarri has resigned from his position as the coach of Lazio. The decision comes after a disappointing period of performances that saw the Serie A team fall behind in the race for European football.
Lazio has neither confirmed nor denied the widespread reports surrounding Sarri’s resignation when contacted by AFP.
The team’s 2-1 home defeat to Udinese on Monday night pushed them seven points adrift of Atalanta, who currently occupy a Europa Conference League spot. Furthermore, they are an additional four points away from securing the final Champions League position held by Bologna.
Last season, Lazio finished in second place, but their current campaign has been marked by inconsistency, with 12 losses in 28 league fixtures.
Sarri’s side also faced elimination from the Champions League after being knocked out by Bayern Munich, despite leading by a single goal following the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Although Lazio’s season is not yet over, as they are set to compete in the Italian Cup semifinals against Juventus over two legs, Sarri’s departure adds further uncertainty to their future prospects.
The 65-year-old coach joined Lazio in 2021 after taking a year-long sabbatical following his league title win with Juventus during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sarri is best known for his time at Napoli, where he led a flamboyant team that came close to winning the Serie A title in 2018. He also achieved success by winning the 2019 Europa League with Chelsea.