Sarri: "This Is A Special Match. I Won’t Remember It For The Result But For The Feeling The Stadium Gave Me."

After Lazio’s win over AC Milan, Maurizio Sarri faced the media in his post match press conference and delivered a message that went beyond tactics and scorelines. Yes, he was pleased with the result, but the part he kept returning to was the Olimpico itself and what he felt from the stands.

“I don’t know what happened,” Sarri said when asked about Lazio’s recent shift in tone. “The team’s intensity in training has always been good. Lately, I feel like there’s something more in terms of character.” Then he made his point clearly: “We don’t take tonight’s game too seriously, the atmosphere at the Olimpico was wonderful.”

Sarri even said he would have carried the same feeling without the win, although the result obviously helped. “It would have been the same for me even without this result, which obviously makes me happy,” he explained. “In the stands, I saw something memorable, beautiful stuff.” And he added a familiar thought he cannot shake. “I always have my second thought about how many more points we would have gained with a full Olimpico. But it’s still wonderful.”

Asked directly how he would rate the match emotionally, Sarri did not hesitate. “This is a special match,” he said. “I won’t remember it for the result but for the feeling the stadium gave me. It’s one of the strongest, from an emotional standpoint, it was special.”

Sarri was also asked about Daniel Maldini’s role and Petar Ratkov’s situation, and he was blunt about the selection process. “The same goes for everyone with Ratkov,” he said. “I evaluate him in training and then I decide.” For now, the coach is leaning toward the safer option. “Right now, I think Maldini, who played a good match, seems to be more reliable,” Sarri explained, while leaving the door open for change. “Then, if things change in a month, I’ll make other choices.”

One of the more interesting tactical themes discussed was Patric’s use in build up, and Sarri suggested it is not a random experiment. “I’ve tried him in that role in previous years, and I think he can play it well,” he said. Sarri admitted Patric needs time to fully absorb the position again, but believes he understands it. “He should learn how to play that position. He knows how to interpret that position.”

Responding to Massimiliano Allegri’s claim that Lazio looked like a counterattacking team, Sarri gave a nuanced answer. “We’re more of a team that runs forward than a ball playing team,” he said, adding that you can adapt to the characteristics of the squad. He also explained one second half adjustment he made to protect balance. “In the second half, I took off a player because he was running forward too much; the risk was that we’d get stretched and be overrun.” His priority was control. “At that moment, I wanted more ball play,” he said, stressing that Lazio had a responsibility to manage the match once leading. “The responsibility of the evening was to end the first half 1 to 0.”

Sarri sounded encouraged by signs of growth, even if he still sees instability. “This team is also improving in terms of ball possession; they can do it with some quality at times,” he said. But he also noted that certain players are still driven by instinct more than structure. “Then, some players instinctively start off individually. I see it in training too.” When asked if this can become a base for the future, Sarri gave a conditional answer: “It depends on how much quality you can apply.”

Sarri also spoke about Edoardo Motta, praising the talent while pointing out the rough edges. “He did well,” Sarri said. “In terms of distribution, he made two or three mistakes.” The overall verdict was positive, but cautious. “He’s a guy with talent; he needs to grow. Let’s hope his growth doesn’t cost us anything; it’s not happening right now.”

On his red card, Sarri explained it as a reaction to the added time decision, and he delivered it with the same blunt humor he often uses. “Guida called for six minutes of injury time and then two more,” he said. “So I told him: ‘Where the hell did you get two more from?’” Sarri insisted he did not insult the referee personally. “If I were the referee, I would have ignored it. I used a strong expression and didn’t insult anyone.”

Finally, Sarri was asked about a long running idea: naming the Flaminio after Tommaso Maestrelli and playing the first match there. Sarri laughed at the timeline. “Looking at how long it’s taking to build the Flaminio, it’ll be hard to be alive,” he joked. “I don’t think I can do it. If I’m alive, I’d like to be invited.”