Lazio Calm The Situation After Sarri’s Anger Toward Referee Following Inter Defeat

After the 2-0 loss to Inter Milan on Sunday night, Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri expressed strong frustration toward referee Gianluca Manganiello. The coach accused the match official of being too lenient and inconsistent in his decisions. However, the club quickly intervened by releasing an official statement to prevent the controversy from escalating further.

Inter Milan dominated the match from start to finish. Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring within the first three minutes, while Ange Bonny doubled the lead in the second half, sealing Lazio’s defeat at San Siro.

Lazio’s main attacking threat came from Mattia Zaccagni, who was repeatedly fouled by Inter defenders. Although three Inter players received yellow cards, Sarri believed the officiating did not offer enough protection for his player.

In the post-match press conference, as reported by Il Messaggero, Sarri expressed his irritation after being booked for dissent. He said, “The reason is simple. Lautaro fouled Zaccagni right in front of me and was not given a yellow card. Then the referee sent Zaccagni off the pitch and never called him back. Even Padre Pio would have lost his patience, and in the end I was the one who received the yellow card,” quoted LaLazioSiamoNoi.

Sarri went on to criticize the current standard of Serie A refereeing. “The referee did not affect the final result, but I believe it is time to bring in foreign officials because I no longer see any Italian referees capable of doing their job properly,” he said.

On Monday morning, Lazio moved quickly to clarify the situation. Through an official note on their website, the club explained that the coach’s comments were made in a heated moment and did not represent the official position of the club.

“SS Lazio, regarding the remarks made by coach Maurizio Sarri after the league match, clarifies that as later explained by the coach himself, the referee’s performance had no influence on the course of the match or its final result,” the statement read.

“These considerations, expressed during a moment of sporting tension, must be understood within the emotional context of the immediate aftermath of the game. During this period of generational transition for referees, it is important that the process is guided with balance, which will help improve the training and development of young referees.”

Yesterday morning, a high-level meeting took place at the Parco dei Principi hotel involving Lazio president Claudio Lotito and sporting director Angelo Fabiani, alongside CAN referees, the AIA leadership, representatives from all Serie A clubs, FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo, and referee designator Gianluca Rocchi. 

According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, several issues were addressed during the meeting, including Sarri’s remarks about referee Manganiello and the subsequent Lazio press release. Lotito sought to ease tensions by saying, “Sarri is Tuscan, he likes to make jokes,” and he personally apologized to Rocchi. AIA president Carlo Zappi commented afterward, “Annoyed by Sarri’s words? I appreciated the club’s statement more.” The incident is now considered closed.

The club also emphasized that the meeting organized by FIGC and Lega Serie A on Monday morning would serve as an opportunity for calm reflection on the current situation. Lazio highlighted that all parties share the same goal of improving the overall quality of Italian football and its various components.