Sarri back at Lazio after 15-month break

Maurizio Sarri is returning to coach Lazio more than a year after leaving them, the Roman Serie A club announced on Monday.

“Maurizio Sarri has returned home.” said club president Claudio Lotito on the Lazio web site. 

Sarri replaces Marco Baroni who stepped down as Lazio coach last Friday after failing to obtain European football for next season

Baroni took over last summer 2024 after Lazio went through three coaches in a season: Sarri, Giovanni Martusciello and Igor Tudor.

Sarri started his first stint at Lazio in the summer of 2021 and led them to a second place finish in Serie A in 2023.

The 66-year-old hasn’t coached since resigning as Lazio coach in March 2024.

“His return is a choice of heart, conviction and vision,” said Lotito. “With him we want to resume a path interrupted too soon, knowing that together we can bring back enthusiasm, identity and ambition. Welcome back to your home Commander.”

This is the 66-year-old Sarri’s 20th head coaching appointment, although the first eight were at amateur level while he worked as a banker. 

He led Juventus to the Serie A crown in 2020, came close to the title with Napoli and led Chelsea to the Europa League in 2019.

Baroni took Lazio to seventh in his single season in charge, but the club dropped out of the European places on the final day of the season with a home defeat to Lecce.