Immobile: 'No Reason to Leave Lazio, Hurt by Sarri Rumors'

Lazio captain Ciro Immobile insists his future will lie at the club while denying any involvement in the departure of Maurizio Sarri. The Italian striker has been less prolific this term compared to his stats from previous years, leaving many fans and pundits to wonder if Father Time is catching up to him.

Nevertheless, he still has two years left on his contract, and he intends to dwell in Formello and prove naysayers wrong as he revealed while chatting with journalists during an event at Circolo Due Ponti (via La Lazio Siamo Noi).

I have a two-year contract with Lazio and I feel good. My family is happy here and I see no reason why I should leave. It’s obvious that after a season like this one, there are many question marks, especially on my part, there’s a bit of criticism.

I had seven years at an exceptional level and a year of decline and a bit of difficulty in managing. The coaching change didn’t help either. Being the one who scored the most goals, I paid the biggest price. When you start the season badly, it’s difficult to bounce back.

I have always been distinguished for my precision in front of goal. So it was hard to find myself in a dark tunnel. However, one underwhelming season doesn’t undo what I achieved at the club.

On another note, Immobile categorically denied he had a hand in Sarri’s exit in March.

What hurt me most of all was the rumors that I was the one who sent Sarri away. More than anything it, disturbed Ciro as a man and not the footballer. I never wanted to go into detail on certain issues, especially with Sarri, such a renowned coach. I would never do that to anyone.

The 34-year-old reveals the great impact that the managerial change had on the squad.

We were good at immediately understanding what Tudor was looking for because we went from one extreme to another. Unfortunately, when you change the coach, especially a renowned name like Sarri, is a big defeat for a team. We were the first to be disappointed by the situation, but obviously something had broken and we had to change.

With Tudor we had that shock that allowed us to recover in the league, but it’s a shame about the Coppa Italia because we had an important second leg and we paid for the result of the first leg.