Ahead of the match between Lazio and the Juventus on Saturday evening, valid for Igor Tudor’s debut on the Biancocelesti bench, the former Lazio winger spoke exclusively to our microphones, Romulo Caldeira. Starting from Sarri’s farewell, he then commented on the possible tactical innovations that there will be under Tudor, before shifting attention to his former teammate Ciro Immobile:
How did you react to Sarri’s farewell?
“I’m a bit disappointed. Everyone knows that I’m a fan of his. I already liked him from the Empoli days, when he made the team play very well and then he did even better in Naples. I remember Maradona’s words towards him and the apologies next. He is a fantastic coach. Unfortunately things in Rome didn’t go the way he wanted, football is like that. I was sorry, I’m a fan of his work, I took it a bit badly. What didn’t work? It’s difficult to say without being inside. There are many variations in football, from injuries to players who perform subpar or choices that perhaps forced him to change his style of play. We need to understand what happened during the week, if the players were available and wanted do what he said.”
Now the Tudor era begins. Do you think the 3-4-2-1 is suitable for the individuals in this team?
“In my opinion, the squad is a bit short. I played with Inzaghi in the 3-5-2, winning the Italian Cup in 2019. It was a bit different in terms of way of playing, even if the 3-4-2-1 , with some movements from the individuals, it becomes a 3-5-2. I believe that this tactical change can be a solution after this year’s failure of the 4-3-3. Some players from the Inzaghi era are still there, this it will help them assimilate certain requests. Tudor is a fantastic coach, he had a perfect season in Verona, I like him a lot. He changes a lot compared to Sarri: he is much more aggressive. I hope to see an offensive Lazio with the wingers who will attack from the start at the end, the defenders who will provide the basis and help the midfielders to manage the team. In my opinion they will do well with this formation.”
Can Immobile be reborn with these tactical changes?
“I think so. Immobile is Lazio’s main player, for me he is the strongest striker we have in Italy. With Sarri there were many variations that didn’t allow things to work, his is a case. When he’s well he is a devastating player. Tudor’s game is similar to that of Gasperini’s Atalanta, very offensive and aggressive and in Bergamo the attackers, I am thinking of Muriel and Zapata, have always scored a lot of goals. Lazio will certainly create more scoring opportunities and with a player like Ciro who is an expert in making them, will certainly score a lot. Let’s hope so. It won’t even be a rebirth, because Ciro never died, it’s always him and for me he is a devastating player, we just need to make sure that he has opportunities to score goals.”
Have you kept in touch with anyone on the team?
“I have contact with my teammates. I spoke with Lotito, both father and son, first by message and then by video call. Enrico asked me many questions, he is entering more and more into society, he is studying and is improving himself to become truly an important person in the club. I told him that I would like to return, perhaps even as coach of the Primavera. He told me that he is thinking about it and let’s see what will happen in the future. Despite having only played a few months in Lazio it seems that I have played there for ten years, I have many friends there and my heart remains in Rome, one day I would like to come and watch a match in the Curva Nord with the fans.”
As a double ex, what do you expect from Lazio-Juve?
“It’s always a good match, I believe that Lazio will surprise. The change of coach and module could give them something more. Juve has always suffered from teams like Gasperini’s Atalanta because it is difficult to play against a team that has three defenders behind and two wingers who return practically forming a line of five, plus the midfielders who return, defend and help. I believe that Lazio will play more or less like this. I believe that Juve will struggle, because in my opinion Lazio has even more quality compared to Atalanta, so if the Bergamo players were already suffering, let alone against a more technical and complete team. I believe that Lazio will take home the three points. Who am I rooting for? I spent a special year in Turin: we won everything and we are we also reached the Champions League final, it was a beautiful year, despite the many injuries. I have great affection towards them, but everyone knows that my heart belongs to Hellas Verona and Lazio. I’m a Lazio fan.”
Lazio is in Brazil looking for talent. You know Brazilian football well, who would you recommend?
“Every year many important players come out. Now there is an extraordinary boy, his name is Steven and he is still very young, but all the top clubs in the world are already after him. I believe that Lazio must do a different job compared to the big ones. of Europe. They must anticipate them by focusing on the youth sector of the Brazilian teams, perhaps having a support here in Brazil that follows them constantly, every day. In this way they can emulate the same work done years ago by clubs like Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid. They observed the young players, made agreements with the local teams and as soon as they turned 18 they took them to Europe. This would be ideal for Lazio, because if they wait for them to grow it becomes impossible to compete with the big teams.”
Would you like to be a scout for Lazio?
“I never thought about it, now that you asked me I tell you it would be nice. Knowing the club, knowing the local players it could be a solution to make Lazio even stronger. Yes, I would like it. But I have to be honest, I had never thought about it… it’s a great idea!”.
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