On the eve of Lazio-Milan, Maurizio Sarri spoke in a press conference to present the match scheduled for tomorrow against the team of Massimiliano Allegri, valid for the 29th matchday of Serie A Enilive. Below are some excerpts from his remarks.
What kind of Milan do you expect?
“Milan has very clear characteristics; they possess extremely high technical and physical quality. We will have to be good at not allowing open space, because their bursts of acceleration are devastating. Tactically it will be a very, very difficult match.”
Did you expect this kind of impact from Modrić? Is he the type of player you would like to have for the future Lazio?
“In my opinion Luka Modrić is a monster of humility. To put himself back on the line like this at his age is extraordinary. He does it with incredible commitment; on the field he manages to give everything even in the defensive phase. He is one of the greatest players of this period. Of course, having a young Modrić is everyone’s dream, he’s a world-class player with a very particular mindset. He and Pedro Rodríguez are two special cases; when you sign a player of this type you must be certain about those mental characteristics.”
You have always stayed in the game against Milan. Do you expect a similar match despite the many changes compared to the first half of the season?
“Milan gives you the feeling that you’re the one controlling the match, but that’s not actually the case. The most dangerous moment against Milan is when we have the ball, because they are exceptional in those situations.”
What could Sarri envy about Allegri and vice versa? Fabiani spoke about the future, what will the nature of your reflections be this summer?
"Fabiani said things that are simply facts. I still have a long contract with two more years remaining, and that’s the situation. If the club isn’t satisfied, or if I’m not satisfied, we’ll talk about it, but right now there’s no discussion. It looks like another ‘year zero’ is on the horizon: there are many players whose contracts are expiring and, if they aren’t retained, they will reach agreements with other clubs. I’m at S.S. Lazio and I’m very happy here from many points of view. Allegri coaches the club with the highest revenue in Italy, so clearly they can afford important players. There are some things I envy him for, but that’s part of the game. What could Allegri envy about me? Ask him."
