Lazio Management Irritated by Constant Maurizio Sarri Jabs

Originally posted on The Laziali | By Michel Sakr | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The power struggle at Lazio is hardly a hidden secret at this stage, with Claudio Lotito and Maurizio Sarri repeatedly trading barbs.

Needless to say, the head coach has been displeased with all the bumps he had been enduring since rejoining the club last summer, beginning with the transfer ban. The 67-year-old reiterated that he decided to stay at Formello out of loyalty to the players and the fanbase, but can’t make any promises beyond June.

In recent weeks, the management succeeded in lifting the transfer ban, but this only created a further rift between the hierarchy and Sarri, who hasn’t been in favor of the club’s January dealings, to say the least. The former Napoli boss publicly rued Matteo Guendouzi’s departure and admitted he knows little about his new players, Petar Ratkov and Kenneth Taylor.

As Il Messaggero notes, Sarri was initially promised he’d have the final word on new signings, but this hasn’t necessarily been the case. For instance, the coach had requested the arrivals of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Giacomo Raspadori (or Giovane), but the club hasn’t been able to satisfy his demands.

Lotito responded to the manager’s remarks by stating that the management is responsible for choosing the new players, while the coach only has to… coach them.

Following Sunday’s win over Hellas Verona, Sarri explicitly said that the hierarchy has at times failed to recruit the right profiles suitable for his playing system, not to mention several other digs he aimed at the club president and sporting director Angelo Fabiani.

Therefore, the Roman newspaper reveals that Lotito and Co. have been irritated by Sarri’s constant jabs, especially since the management hasn’t put any pressure on him this season, and has avoided setting any objectives related to European qualification.

At this stage, the January transfer campaign remains a work in progress, but the final outcome could have major implications on the already-strained relationship between Lazio’s president and his head coach.

This article first appeared on The Laziali and was syndicated with permission.

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