COMMENT: The love story between Maurizio Sarri and Lazio is over. And it ended in the worst possible way, with accusations and suspicions of betrayal, with no noteworthy results and an ever worsening relationship with fans.
It was the worst ending for the Tuscan coach, especially since he had repeatedly expressed his desire to remain with Lazio until the end of his career. He had become the "Comandante" of the entire fan base, which, having developed a negative relationship with President Claudio Lotito, had identified themselves with the coach.
Since arriving at Lazio, Sarri had changed, had imbued himself with "Lazioness", had begun to represent its values, to faithfully represent the feelings of the fans. A symbolic phrase of this new version of Sarri, no doubt, is the one related to the challenge against Bayern Munich, when he said, "It's nice to beat the Germans, but it's more satisfying to win the Derby (against Roma)".
This is a phrase that a few years ago Sarri would never have uttered, and this is shown by the words he spoke instead upon his arrival, when he tried to "normalize" the match against Roma. Lazio changed Sarri more than Sarri changed Lazio, probably this is the perfect summary of what happened with the Tuscan coach. One thing must be remembered: Sarri resigned, he was not fired. It is no coincidence that, also in order to de-emphasize himself (it is not a mystery that the former Chelsea and Napoli coach was unenthusiastic, to put it mildly, about the transfers of the club), Lotito said: "Sarri was betrayed". By whom? By the players? These are not light words, but the Biancoceleste president knows that.
Some of the fans had become convinced in the final stage of Sarri's time that some players, if not the whole team, were now playing "against" him. Or at any rate, to put it better, they were no longer working as hard as before. These things happen in soccer, but it is also true that these "easy" solutions to explain the reality and difficulties of coaches are used a lot by fans, just think of the similar things said about Jose Mourinho and the final phase of his work at Roma.
Sarri's soccer, the one that has become a term in itself, "Sarrism" in Lazio was rarely seen. The Biancocelesti often played on counter-attack, exploiting the running qualities of Felipe Anderson and Mattia Zaccagni. One thing is for sure: Sarri is not easily malleable, he is not used to changing much on a tactical level, and in fact one of the charges of the fans who were calling for his dismissal was precisely this, they accused him of having "only one way of playing", only one scheme, of never having tried a three-man line in defense, for example. Many hoped to see a two-man attack, with Ciro Immobile and Taty Castellanos, but Sarri always opted for his signature scheme, without changing his mind, ever.
Steadfast he has always been, it has been his strength, it has been his hallmark, which is why he has been called the "Comandante". Consistent, loyal, stubborn, always straight ahead. Here, this rigidness of his was perhaps the main problem with his experience at Lazio.
The relationship with the fans - talking to representatives of the Biancoceleste fan base - they all answer the same thing, namely that they "were divided 50/50". There were those who would have continued with Sarri at all costs, because according to them it was not his fault but the team was simply unequipped to fight for fourth place. And there were those who had long hoped that he would be fired so they could change pace. It was Sarri who broke the deadlock, because a consistent man like him struggles to stay in an environment where he does not feel wanted, or appreciated, or supported. Not sure you want me? Fine, I'll get out of your hair.
Fatal, who knows, may have been the chants against him from fans during the last game with Sarri on the bench. In any case, out of nowhere came the news: "Maurizio Sarri has resigned". A real shock, curiously similar to what happened with Mourinho at Roma (even if the Portuguese has been fired). News that split the fans, causing in some cases wounds that will take a long time to heal. Roma chose to bet on Daniele De Rossi, a club legend and captain, a choice that paid off and turned out to be correct, while Lazio after pondering the possibility of betting on some former players like Tommaso Rocchi or Miroslav Klose opted for Igor Tudor, a coach who did very well in some of his previous experiences.
He is certainly a strong, charismatic man, although so was Sarri. Perhaps too much, some of his critics might say, but one thing is sure: no one could have thought of this kind of ending, an early farewell and amidst controversy, when not too long ago Sarri declared that, "Here they made me feel important, I want to stop here," meaning that he would have wanted Lazio to be his last team.
But it was not to be. Maurizio left Lazio and he did so as a wounded man, perhaps betrayed, or at least feeling so. It was not supposed to end this way, but one thing is certain: it did not go well, it ended worse, but Sarrismo did not die, at most it was betrayed. The emotions felt during the journey, however, did not fade. The words of love spent over the years will not be erased. Sarri loved Lazio and Lazio people loved Sarri. The rest is history.
