In a revealing interview with Radio Radio lo Sport, Lazio’s Sporting Director Angelo Fabiani provided insights into Maurizio Sarri’s resignation and the club’s current situation.
Fabiani spoke emotionally about Sarri’s departure: “When Sarri communicated his resignation to me, I, being passionate, started crying. I saw a man devastated, also due to personal vicissitudes: he had lost his uncle whom he considered a father, shortly after his mother passed away, who wasn’t well; I remember a period when his wife was in intensive care while he was at a match. The man Sarri, whom we know in a certain way, had a breakdown and communicated this decision to me.”
Regarding Pedro’s contract renewal, Fabiani clarified: “We never said ‘dear Sarri, dear Tudor, Pedro won’t renew.’ The coach, once gone, shouldn’t say he was conditioned by the club in his work.”
On adapting to changes, he noted: “Even Luis Alberto, Immobile, Sergej had to adapt at the beginning. We hope that these players we’ve acquired can best replace these important players who have left in the future.”
Fabiani discussed new signings Dele Bashiru and Folorunsho: “We already knew him, as he played in Manchester and we saw him live in Turkey. He has accelerations that, in both phases, reach peaks of 37 km/h. There was also talk of Folorunsho: it’s not that he has great technique, but he has a devastating engine and with Baroni’s football, he could be an interesting player. Then a pinch of quality is needed: in this sense, we have had ample physical guarantees on Castrovilli and he will be the one to give that extra bit of quality.”
On Immobile’s departure, Fabiani expressed: “Immobile’s farewell wasn’t the best from a human point of view, I had an excellent relationship with him. Two days before the retreat, he called me saying he was in shape and would score 20 goals. The next day this proposal from Turkey arrived, he made his evaluations and expressed his desire to leave. Faced with this desire, it’s not right to hold back. Then that I’m sorry is obvious, but it’s part of market logic.”
Regarding Dia’s potential transfer, he stated: “Today, getting everyone to agree is not simple. We have an agreement with Salernitana and already the forms signed by them. Now we need to agree, as I said before, with the other companies, those of the lawyer, the agent, and the player. We’re finding common ground. Our will is to get Dia. He asked us for a day’s time and now we’re waiting for a response from his entourage.”
On the club’s objectives, Fabiani was ambitious: “What I’ve told the guys and what I preach to them daily is that we shouldn’t be second to anyone and honor the shirt, work for those who make sacrifices to subscribe to a season ticket. In August, everyone has won championships, we must give our maximum, even more, without deluding anyone. If we were to play to finish in the top 5? I was born with a winning mentality. I don’t know where it will take me, but I’m convinced that these guys will entertain everyone and give us great satisfaction. The important thing is not to see players strolling around the Olimpico: I want to see them give everything. Then football is unpredictable.”
Finally, on potential further signings, he concluded: “I think the team is complete and balanced, but that doesn’t mean the market is over. If we see elements that improve us, we have the obligation to take them. The names I read are sponsorships of agents who want to trigger an auction. The objectives we had in mind, we’ve achieved. There’s still something to do and let’s see if we then find another element that can be useful to add to the squad.”
