Sarri: "Lazio? Flatten Environment, Numb Team."

Maurizio Sarri, speaking in an interview with Il Corriere della Sera, opens up for the first time since his departure from Lazio last March. The coach shares how much he misses football. Following his time with Biancoceleste, he took a brief hiatus to recover mentally, also affected by his mother's passing. Now, he is eager to return to the field and regrets not receiving any offers from Italian clubs, only from abroad. Sarri acknowledges his mistakes and is self-critical but stands by his previous comments on schedules and pitches, noting that managers like Klopp and Guardiola made similar remarks without facing the same backlash.

Interestingly, Sarri's time at Lazio receives minimal mention in the interview, summed up in just four words: "Flatten environment, numb team." He is more detailed in expressing his regret over not coaching Milan, a missed opportunity in the past, and his disappointment over the lack of recent calls from Milan and Fiorentina, clubs he feels would have suited him. Sarri also reflects on his extensive tenure at Napoli, his Europa League win at Chelsea (where he admits he made a mistake in leaving), and his Scudetto with Juventus. For now, he isn't considering a national team role, preferring to coach a club to stay involved in daily training and enjoy the game.

When discussing players who made him proud, Sarri does not mention anyone from Lazio. Instead, he highlights his time at Napoli with players like Koulibaly, Mertens, and Insigne, and at Chelsea with Hazard, who had his best season under Sarri despite their frequent arguments.