ROME (AP) — Maurizio Sarri reportedly stepped down as Lazio coach on Tuesday, the day after a disappointing defeat at home to lowly Udinese, although the club still has to accept his resignation.
Sarri has been in charge of Lazio for three years and had a contract until the end of next season but Italian media outlets such as Gazzetta dello Sport and La Presse reported that the 65-year-old has handed in his notice after five losses in his past six matches.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito was set to meet with Sarri at the team’s training center later Tuesday. The club did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
Sarri steered Lazio to second place in the Italian league last year — albeit 16 points behind runway Serie A champion Napoli — but the capital club has disappointed this campaign.
Monday’s 2-1 defeat was Lazio’s 12th in the league this season and left it 11 points behind fourth-placed Bologna.
Lazio memorably beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 last month but went on to lose 3-0 in Germany and was eliminated.
It also lost 3-0 to eventual winner Inter Milan in the semifinals of the Super Cup in January. Lazio is through to the Italian Cup semifinals, where it will face Sarri’s former club Juventus next month.
Sarri was fired by Juventus in 2020 despite leading the Bianconeri to a ninth successive title in his one season in charge.
Sarri, a former banker, also coached Chelsea and Napoli.
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