Sarri's First Interview After Sign With Lazio

Waiting for the official presentation, Maurizio Sarri speaks to Sporitalia's microphones. The coach, interviewed in his hall of memories and trophies, spoke for the first time as a new Lazio coach: 

"It's been 332 days I haven't spoken? In this period I didn't do anything in particular, I did what I couldn't do. I have been with my family, I have read a lot, I have seen many games and I have seen many cycling races. I come from a family of cyclists, my grandfather was, my father was a professional racer, it has always been a family passion."

"I watch cycling races and in the evening I call Davide Cassani (national team coach) to have me explain the details. I saw a lot of football, not a lot, it was a particular year, frankly, it didn't matter that much to be out, the empty stadiums brought a bit of sadness. I didn't even want to go back quickly."

"Scudetto with Juve undervalued? It was taken for granted on the outside, unfortunately also on the inside. We won a Scudetto without celebrating it, we each went to dinner on their own. Maybe this year would be the right year to coach Juventus, after the fourth place last season, which I saw they celebrated, perhaps the conditions have been created for coaching."

"When a team has been in the Scudetto for so many years, it can also happen that the whole environment takes things for granted. In sport, victories are never guaranteed. You have to do everything well and sometimes it's not enough. Can't I catch teams in the running? This year there were no conditions for me, football with empty stadiums was difficult to find the right desire to return with the right characteristics. It was a tough year, I didn't mind being out, now that the spectators meet again at the stadium the desire is starting to take over ".

"Why did I say no to Napoli in January? Because I didn't have the certainty of being very useful in the race, there were not many conditions. To all the clubs that sought me this season, I said the same thing, This was my decision but I was available to talk about it in July. I would have been available in the summer for Napoli, in January it wasn't a real negotiation, but a piece of information on my availability."

"I like De Zerbi very much, I am amazed that at that age he is forced or chooses an experience abroad, that there is not a team ready to aim for it. Take flight for Europe, I'm sorry not to see him in Serie A, there are other young people as good as the Italian. De Zerbi had shown enough for me to be signed by a great team."

And about Sarri and Mourinho duel, he comments: "Journalistic stuff, Lazio and Roma will play, neither I will be able to score, nor Mourinho saves a goal. The teams count, more than the players and the coaches. It will be important to do a great job, to have fun again, to play a football that I like. When a coach has fun transmits it and after a while, the players begin to have fun. When the players have fun, the public also has fun. That to win you have to play badly is a cliché."

"I don't know how close I was to Roma, I never spoke to them directly, according to my agents close enough. But I don't know honestly."

Then Sarri comment about his current tactic for Lazio: "How can you do the 4-3-3? By changing a few players, of course. In the current squad, there are no attacking wingers, something needs to change."

"I have always been seen as a fundamentalist, I did the 4-2-3-1 and they said to me I was an integralist of 4-2-3-1. I played with 4-3-1-2 and they told me I was an integralist of 4-3-1-2. In reality, I have done many different tactics. The only thing I can not do is the defense at 3. The basic idea would be 4-3-3, then we see what the market."

"You are making me talk too much about Lazio and I'm sorry, I would like to do it in the presentation phase. For Lazarri, this guy, with the leg he has, I think he can adapt to do everything."

"Without realizing we are constantly changing, it is unthinkable to be the coach or the man from Empoli. I think it is natural. I have needs when I coach, that is to find the club that makes me become a full-fledged field coach, if they do something different I get sad, I get frustrated, it's not something I have dedicated myself 100% to as a job. I'm talking about my characteristics, they can also be a limit. I will always be led to environments where I can exalt myself, if I do not have fun I'm in trouble."

"Which one is more important for coaching the club of Lazio or Roma or Inter or Milan? I don't know that. You can speak and say on paper. But you must always have to go on the pitch and demonstrate. The name and the successes of the past are no guarantee of successes in the future."

"My goal is to have a team that aims to work hard weekly and then have fun on Sunday. For me when the environment finds this reaction it is easier to win. When they say that playing badly is easier to win, I honestly don't understand it. I don't know how long I will still want to train, now I need a rewarding experience, I'm not talking about rankings and results, but at a professional level."

"I want the club to give me a goal, what it can spend it will spend, what it cannot spend it will not spend. The story of Juventus that must win the Champions League is also false, Juventus have always made excellent teams, they can also win the Champions League but when I see the turnover they are tenth in Europe. 9 teams could potentially have more chances than Juventus to win it."

"With Fiorentina before Prandelli, there were some requests. I gave the same answer and availability for June. With Marina at Chelsea, I made a sensational mistake, I wanted to return to Italy, I lived at Chelsea in a particular year, with Abramovic who could not enter the territory. A rather difficult situation. It was all in Marina's hands, she had so many problems to solve. A sensational error of evaluation on my part, then many young peoples arrive at Chelsea who would have been perfect for me. Werner, Mount, Havertz."

"Honestly, I haven't seen many matches in the European Championship, almost all that I watch are Italy's games, others are flashes. Italy is the one that plays the best football, from the choices that had been made I expected a brilliant and technical team. Bravo Mancini to choose those players."

And for Spalleti as head coach of Napoli, he comments: "In the last period I haven't heard from him, he has the right experience to manage the team and the situations. Good luck because it's tough in Naples, De Laurentiis is not a simple president, but he brings the results".

"For what I have known Lotito, he is different from De Laurentiis. Then the pre-season experiences are all beautiful and easy with him, you only can see the true nature of people when there are difficulties. The hope is that my feelings are right."

And last but not least in his interview, Sarri comments: "I promised my cardiologist that I would not smoke anymore. I have to deal with him, I made him a promise."