After butting heads with Luis Alberto, Maurizio Sarri is at loggerheads with another Lazio star, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. He is not alone within the club because also president Claudio Lotito and director Igli Tare are furious about some recent behaviors. His time in Rome will probably end next summer, Il Messaggero reports.
Sarri sees Milinkovic-Savic as arrogant and presumptuous and not the leader he is supposed to be. The coach and the executives are irate due to an incident at the team’s Christmas dinner. The Serbian midfielder, alongside the teammates close to him, left before the president gave his speech. The management levied a €50k fine afterward.
Lotito is fuming for the turn of events, as he confided to a friend: “I did not sell him for €140M because I had given my word to Simone Inzaghi. I do not care about the money, but I want respect and maximum effort.”
The owner believes it is could be time to break up the team and already informed his agent Mateja Kezman. According to Calciomercato.com, Manchester United are keeping close tabs on the matter and are the most likely destination at this stage. His price tag is now around €75/80M, which would be too much for Juventus that coveted him in the past.
Sarri might bench Milinkovic-Savic against Bologna because of the situation. In the meantime, Ciro Immobile will miss the second game in a row as he tested positive for COVID. He had been away from the team since last Wednesday.