Sarri’s Season Openers With Lazio: A Familiar Start Away From Home

As the 2025–26 Serie A season kicks off, Maurizio Sarri prepares for yet another debut with Lazio, his fourth league opener since taking charge in 2021. And once again, it won’t be at home.

The pattern is hard to ignore: three out of four of Sarri’s season openers with Lazio have come away from the Stadio Olimpico, including this one. While it might seem like a trivial scheduling quirk, these opening fixtures have often set the tone for what’s to come.

Let’s take a quick look back at how Sarri’s Lazio began each campaign:

Season 2021–22:

Sarri’s very first Serie A match with Lazio saw the Biancoceleste travel to face his former side, Empoli. The hosts struck first through Filippo Bandinelli, but Lazio responded in style. Goals from Sergej Milinković-Savić, Manuel Lazzari, and Ciro Immobile sealed a strong comeback and a 3–1 win, a performance that immediately showcased Sarri’s attacking philosophy.

Season 2022–23:

This was the only time Sarri’s Lazio opened the season at the Olimpico, and it was far from routine. Summer signing Luis Maximiano saw red just minutes into his debut, forcing Lazio to play nearly the entire match with 10 men. Yet, with grit and quality, they pulled off a 2–1 victory over Bologna, showing resilience under pressure.

Season 2023–24:

In what turned out to be a turbulent season, Lazio’s opener in Lecce began promisingly with Immobile’s goal, only for it to unravel. Pontus Almqvist and Federico Di Francesco scored late to hand Sarri a painful 2–1 loss. It was a frustrating result that would reflect the broader struggles of the season, which ended with Sarri stepping down 10 matches before the final whistle of the campaign.

Season 2025–26:

Now, Sarri is back, revived and reappointed, hoping to write a new chapter with a rebuilt squad and fresh ambitions. Yet again, Lazio will start away from home, just as they did in two of the previous three openers. But this time, the pressure is different. It’s a chance to reset, to leave behind last season’s chaos, and to reaffirm the tactical identity that once made Lazio a top-four contender.

For Lazio fans, the venue may feel familiar, but the mood is cautiously hopeful. With the transfer embargo shaping the squad dynamics and Sarri back in charge, expectations are both tempered and curious. Can Lazio channel the fire of that 2021 opener in Empoli? Or will this be another test of Sarri’s ability to adapt and motivate?

Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the season starts not just with a match, but with a statement.