Sarri: "Losing A Derby Is Very Painful. When I See The Fans In The Curva, I Feel We Have Let Them Down. I Hope The Players Feel The Same Pain."

Lazio’s derby against Roma ended in disappointment as the Biancoceleste fell 1–0 at the Stadio Olimpico, with Lorenzo Pellegrini scoring the decisive goal. After the match, head coach Maurizio Sarri shared his thoughts in a tense press conference, pointing to individual errors and a lack of focus as key reasons behind the defeat.

Sarri said that the turning point was the mistake by Nuno Tavares. “Before that moment, Roma had not even made one shot on target,” he explained. “We had chances with Rovella, Guendouzi, and Romagnoli. After the goal, we lost focus for ten minutes, then we started playing again and created four or five big chances. But we didn’t score. For the second match in a row, we defended well but lost because of simple and careless mistakes.”

Sarri also said that the two red cards made the situation even harder.

The coach is worried about the next Serie A match against Genoa. “We will only have one midfielder available,” he said. “Losing a derby is very painful. When I see the fans in the Curva, I feel we have let them down. I hope the players feel the same pain.”

Sarri also admitted that the team may need changes. He said that midfielder Toma Bašić could return to the squad as an option.

When asked if Lazio’s goals for the season should change, Sarri gave a careful answer. “Maybe we can fix our problems, maybe not. We don’t have the same quality as some other teams. But we still kept the match close, even with many problems,” he said.

He also defended his record. “At Chelsea I started late but won 13 games in a row. Here, this team is still learning new ideas, like using the midfield better. We still don’t attack the space often enough. When we did today, we were dangerous. We have conceded only four goals in four games, but they came from small details: a corner, a free kick, and today’s mistake. We must improve.”

Sarri confirmed that Rovella was not fully fit. “He had a small tendon issue, not a muscle injury. He wanted to stop after the first half,” the coach said.

In the dressing room, Sarri described the players as very upset. “They are disappointed, but I want them to be sad not only for themselves, but also for the fans,” he added.