Maurizio Sarri has stepped down as Lazio manager (Picture: Getty Images)
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has branded Maurizio Sarri a ‘loser’ after the former Chelsea boss resigned as Lazio manager on Tuesday.
The 65-year-old stepped down as Lazio manager this week after four defeats on the spin in all competitions, most recently a 2-1 home loss to Udinese on Monday.
It was only last month that Sarri’s side beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, but a 3-0 loss in Bavaria saw them dumped out of the competition and their poor league form leaves them ninth in Serie A.
De Laurentiis was asked about Sarri’s decision to resign and it is fair to say that he was not impressed.
‘That really shocked me,’ he told Mediaset. ‘After the first experiences where you qualify as a professional, you must take on your share of the responsibility.
‘If you accept a role, you must carry it on to the end, out of respect for the club, the players and the fans.
‘It’s too easy to hand in your resignation, that is what a loser does. I do not know the motivation behind it, but (Lazio president Claudio) Lotito does not seem aggressive. He is a man with qualities and there should’ve been a solution found for a team that can’t just be dumped near the end of the season.’
Aurelio De Laurentiis is not a fan of managers resigning (Picture: Getty Images)
A statement from Lazio on Wednesday read: ‘S.S. Lazio announces that Maurizio Sarri has handed in his resignation as head coach of the first team.
‘The club would like to thank the coach for his achievements and for the work he has done, wishing him the best of luck in his professional and personal life.
‘At the same time, the club communicates that it has decided to entrust Giovanni Martusciello with the technical leadership.’
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