Lazio president Claudio Lotito has hit out at former coach Vladimir Petkovic.
Lotito has axed Petkovic for 'breach of contract'.
"You never stop getting to know people," said Lotito.
"I respect what people say to me and am accustomed to hearing the truth. When some urged me to change Coach because there were rumours about the Swiss Federation, Petkovic told me it was all invented by the media.
"Why shouldn't I have believed what my Coach said? At the time, I made my decision to keep him based on the principles and values that proved to be empty. With time, I realised things I had not recognised before."
Lotito feels well within his rights over axing Petkovic.
"From January 2013 to now, the performances were disastrous. I worked very hard to support him and if I hadn't intervened then perhaps we wouldn't even have achieved those results. There was a situation of respect, but not of satisfaction.
"I supported Petkovic because I considered him to be a person of merit. The facts then changed my evaluation. He said things that were not true and I realised he was exclusively following his own interests.
"A Coach is not just any employee, but someone I give the club to. I never sacked anyone, as Davide Ballardini went by his own request, as did Delio Rossi and Reja. Not everyone has my patience."
