Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri could find himself in hot water with the Italian football authorities after giving the middle finger to a member of Verona staff during a heated Serie A match over the weekend.
Lazio picked up a 2-0 win over Verona to move up to sixth place in Serie A on Sunday. Ciro Immobile headed Sarri’s side into the lead at the back post in the 68th minute before Luis Alberto made sure of the points in injury-time with a cool finish into the bottom corner.
Despite picking up the crucial win, just days after a 4-2 victory over Feyenoord in the Europa League, former Chelsea boss Sarri was not entirely happy. During the second half he reacted angrily to some words he thought he had picked up from the Verona dugout.
The 63-year-old had to be ushered away by an official and members of his own staff after swearing and shouting at the opponents. In the post-match press conference, Sarri explained that the confrontation had arisen out of a simple misunderstanding.
“I had the feeling he had told me ‘Sit down’,” he said. “After that, we cleared up and we laughed about it.” Sarri said the disagreement had been with Verona director Francesco Marroccu and the matter had since been settled. He said: “I’ve known him for many years, he had told me ‘calm down’ not ‘sit down'.”
Sarri joined Lazio in June 2021 following a one-year stint at Juventus. He guided the Rome-based club to fifth place in Serie A last season and is trying to fight on two fronts this campaign, with the Europa League a complicating factor.
“It was a tough game,” he told DAZN after beating Verona. “Last season we collected five points after the eight Europa League games and we averaged two points per game in the other matches. In the end, our season was affected by that [European games].
“It is difficult for everyone to play in Europe, also abroad. Bayern [Munich] got a 2-2 draw against a low-table team (on the weekend). It is difficult and last season, we made life even more challenging for ourselves.
“I am satisfied because it was a tough game. You need patience against Verona, especially if you don’t score immediately. They made 24 [or] 25 fouls throughout the game, we made something like five.”
Sarri won the Europa League and 39 of his 63 games during his time with Chelsea, but left just one year into his three-year contract in the summer of 2019. He agreed a mutual termination with the Blues in order to join Juventus where, once again, he lasted just one of the three agreed years.
