Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri has slammed FIFA, UEFA and the Serie A for the ‘crazy’ scheduling of fixtures in the modern-day game.
The Biancocelesti lost 2-0 to Milan yesterday and while their start to the season has been poor, they have suffered from injury issues and have won just two games in the whole campaign so far, managing to draw their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid.
After the loss to Milan, who increased their unbeaten run to three games, Sarri was vocal about the direction in which football is going in 2023 and criticised FIFA, UEFA and the Serie A for bad scheduling of fixtures.
When asked about why the club’s midfield three keeps changing, he said: “It’s the choice dictated by a crazy calendar. I’m ferociously p****d off at UEFA , FIFA, Lega Serie A and all this gang for this crazy schedule. They are sending these guys to the slaughterhouse without anyone intervening. This is football. Take the money and run. In Serie C you don’t have pitches of football. All this football money is injected into 30-40-50 players.”
There was talk in the summer about Claudio Lotito and Sarri operating on different wavelengths, leading to Lazio missing out on certain targets and some signings potentially not being approved by Sarri.
The manager was asked about whether he endorsed all the Lazio signings in the summer or not and he responded: “It’s difficult to answer. I started with other names, then I said yes to other players. You know very well that the players I had indicated didn’t arrive, so I have to do with what I have available. But in 95% of cases a coach would always give you the same answer.”
Lazio currently have only seven points in seven games this season and Sarri would know that this needs to change quickly.
Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN
