Ahead of Lazio’s Europa League clash against Lokomotiv Moscow, which they won 2-0, coach Maurizio Sarri complained in a press conference regarding the Biancocelesti’s tight schedule of matches that sees them facing Bologna on Sunday, just two days after facing the Russians in the continental tournament.
Responding to his Sarri’s comments, Lega Serie A welcomed the manager’s statement with ‘amazement’ in a press release.
“Lega Serie A welcomes with amazement the statements by coach Maurizio Sarri on the planning of next Sunday’s championship match between Bologna and Lazio, following a European match between the Biancocelesti. It is surprising that a winning coach in Italy and in Europe does not remember that the Rules of International Competitions require at least 48 hours of interval between two matches, a distance widely respected in the specific. Moreover, Sarri himself has already experienced the same situation several times in his English experience when, after the Thursday matches of the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea, he often took the field at lunchtime the following Sunday. Add to this that this type of programming happens in every league, it has already happened in Italy and will also happen to other Serie A teams next November “
The 62-year-old Italian manager stressed on how difficult it is to prepare for matches in short intervals of time but that trend is unlikely to go away anytime soon as all clubs playing in both domestic and continental championships are subject to such tight schedules.
Lazio face Bologna on Sunday afternoon, before resuming their Serie A season in a blockbuster clash against Inter on October 16.