Ex-Chelsea boss Sarri resigns as Lazio manager

Maurizio Sarri has walked away from Lazio with just 10 games of the Serie A season left to play.

The former Chelsea boss, 65, took charge of the club in June 2021 after a one-year sabbatical.

Having been knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last week, Monday night's 2-1 home defeat to Udinese proved to be the final straw.

That result, which left Sarri's side sitting ninth in the Italian top flight, was their fourth successive loss in all competitions.

A club statement said: "Sarri has resigned as head coach of the first team. 

"The club thank him for the goals achieved and for the work carried out. We wish him the best.

"At the same time, the club have decided to entrust the technical guidance to Giovanni Martusciello."

After hearing news of Sarri's resignation, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis slammed him for walking away from the Stadio Olimpico.

He told Sport Mediaset: "That really shocked me. You must take on your share of the responsibility.

"If you accept a role, you must carry it on to the end out of respect for the club, the players and the fans.

"It's too easy to hand in your resignation. That is what a loser does.

"I do not know the motivation behind it but [Lazio president Claudio] Lotito does not seem aggressive.

"He is a man with qualities and there should've been a solution found for a team that can't just be dumped near the end of the season."

Martusciello, 52, previously worked under Sarri as his assistant manager at Juventus.