Maurizio Sarri has firmly dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Napoli, labelling the rumours as "Fantacalcio" in the wake of Lazio's dramatic 3-3 draw with Udinese. The Lazio manager made the comments while speaking to Sky Sport after a match that saw his team fight back from a two-goal deficit at the Stadio Olimpico. Sarri's name has been circulated as a potential successor to Antonio Conte at Napoli, but the former Chelsea boss moved quickly to quash the talk.
Sarri focused his post-match remarks on his current team's performance and the development of goalkeeper Christos Mandas, who was sold in the recent transfer window. "I wasn't happy when they sold Mandas," Sarri admitted, "but we were lucky to find a boy of the level of [Alessandro] Motta. I hope he keeps his feet on the ground because he is not a finished goalkeeper, but he starts from important qualities." Motta, a 22-year-old Italian, has been deputising for the injured Ivan Provedel.
The manager also reflected on a taxing match for his squad, acknowledging a slow start before a spirited recovery. "It was a tough game, we approached it like a team that was mentally tired, but then we recovered and had a great second half," Sarri said. "We made some mistakes, but we also demonstrated reaction and character. Something more is starting to be seen, even though many of the returning players didn't have 90 minutes in their legs."
Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic, speaking to Dazn, praised his team's performance in the high-scoring draw, a result that leaves the Friulian club in a mid-table position. Runjaic joked that he approached Sarri after the final whistle to ask for a cigarette, stating he wanted to smoke one himself after such an intense contest. He highlighted the growth of several players in his squad this season, including Nicola Zalewski, Jesper Lindstrom, and Giovanni Fabbian, while noting the significant absence of the injured Brenner.
The draw leaves Lazio in the upper half of the Serie A table as they continue to chase European qualification under Sarri. The manager's unequivocal denial of interest in the Napoli job will be seen as an attempt to maintain stability and focus within his current project at the Biancocelesti. With the January transfer window now closed, Sarri's attention will be fully on extracting more consistent performances from his squad for the remainder of the campaign.
