Sarri returns for second spell in charge of Lazio

15 months after leaving the position, Maurizio Sarri has returned to Lazio as head coach.

Marco Baroni, who led the Serie A team to a seventh-place finish last season that prevented them from qualifying for Europe, is now in charge.

After a fifth defeat in six games, Sarri left the team in March 2024, and he had also been highly critical of the club’s transfer policy.

The former Chelsea boss, who previously held the positions of president and manager of Lazio for three years, announced in a statement that “Maurizio Sarri has returned home.

His return is based on his heart, conviction, and vision. We are aware that we can bring back enthusiasm, identity, and ambition when we embark on a journey that was too abruptly.

Sarri, who was born in Naples, started his banking career by coaching at low-level Italian clubs.

In the early 2000s, he left his day job to concentrate on management, but he didn’t rise to the top of the Italian charts until he led Empoli to promotion in 2013 and 2014.

Sarri then won the title of Serie A manager of the year in 2016 and 2016 while leading his hometown team Napoli to two second-place finishes in three years.

He spent one season at Chelsea between 2018 and 2019, where he won the Europa League and the Carabao Cup final, before moving back to Italy and capturing the title with Juventus the following year.