With Lazio, Sarri can finally get back to railing against the establishment

Maurizio Sarri, coach of the winning team Lazio, stood on the running track surrounding the Stadio Olimpico pitch looking incredulously at the eagle perched on his arm. And victory in the derby will buy him more credit with supporters than all of his hard graft has achieved to date.

Sarri managed to look both bashful and extremely cool at the same time. It was exactly these qualities that made him such a memeable manager during his year in the Premier League and meant fans of neutral teams couldn’t quite keep their eyes off the Chelsea manager.

The Sarriball, a style-of-play based on possession and pressing from the front that won him admirers at Napoli, has generally been forgotten or turned into a punchline to an increasingly tiresome joke.

But Lazio appointed Sarri as their new manager in June 2021. His appointment was received positively by the club’s fanbase .