Sarri: ‘I am relishing Lazio difficulties, we are building foundations’

Maurizio Sarri insists he is ‘relishing’ this season with Lazio and trying to ‘build the foundations’ of a squad, eliminating AC Milan to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

The Aquile were still smarting after Saturday’s tense 1-0 defeat at San Siro in Serie A, but immediately got revenge five days later with a win by the same scoreline in the Coppa Italia.

Mattia Zaccagni was allowed a free header on a Nuno Tavares corner at the near post, surprising the Rossoneri defence and sending Lazio through to the quarter-finals, where they will face holders Bologna.

“These are situations I enjoy, with so many difficulties and injuries since July, but the team is eager to work, so I enjoy myself during the week. Naturally, I get angry during the match, because we make some errors technically and aren’t at the same level of other squads, but the training part I really relish,” Sarri told Sport Mediaset.

“We were pleased that over 40,000 people came to the Stadio Olimpico and made a ferocious noise. It was pleasing for the lads, because they were mortified at the end of the last home game, even humiliated. They needed this.”

The change was because the Lazio fans were on strike in protest at a row between some sets of the ultras and the club management, so either sat in silence or boycotted the last home match entirely.

“This was a knockout competition, we go forward and don’t even have time to enjoy it too much, as this weekend we have another extremely difficult match.”

Curiously, that will also be against Bologna in Serie A on Sunday, who they’ll meet again in the Coppa Italia quarter-final in 2026.

Sarri has a very limited squad not only due to injuries, but also the Financial Fair Play parameters, so a player like Toma Basic had been frozen out, was welcomed back in as an emergency and has become the key to this Lazio midfield.

“It’s true, he arrived with great prospects, but partly our fault and partly his, he rather lost his way,” added the coach.

“I had no doubts welcoming him back in and he is repaying us with important performances. In terms of movements, he is one of the most reliable we’ve got, if not the most reliable.”

Lazio have an excellent record in the Coppa Italia, reaching the quarter-finals in each of the last 15 editions of the tournament.

“If we reach the end of the season and feel we have seven or eight players we can rely on, bringing in three or four to bolster the group, that’ll be a success. If we are able to build the foundations, that will already be something important for this club. We hope to keep this process up,” concluded Sarri.