Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri and striker Ciro Immobile preview their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg clash with Bayern Munich
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00:00 The press conference for the Champions League round of 16 starts now.
00:06 Lazio Bayern, with Maurizio Sarri and the captain, Sirio Immobile, is with us.
00:14 Let's start with the coach.
00:17 Good evening, coach.
00:25 I want to ask you, how can a seemingly impossible mission become possible?
00:32 That is, to beat Bayern.
00:34 If we start from the assumption that it is impossible, it becomes impossible.
00:39 Because in our heads we are already defeated.
00:43 It is a very difficult match, they are definitely favourites.
00:47 We have to be enthusiastic, because it is a beautiful match to live.
00:52 We have to go with confidence, because they are much stronger than us.
00:57 We will not do it against them, but we must have the confidence to try at all costs.
01:03 A nice tough face, without having second thoughts.
01:09 On paper they are favourites, let's see the field.
01:16 For a coach like you, who always hopes to dominate the game,
01:25 what feeling do you have when you have to face a team that will probably have possession and will always be in your midfield?
01:36 What does Lazio have to do?
01:38 When there is to suffer, we all have to suffer together, we have to suffer as a collective.
01:44 It is clear that against these teams there will be moments of great suffering.
01:50 There will be difficulties to face, difficulties to face with positivity and to overcome.
01:58 This is inevitable, when the teams are of this level.
02:03 We must do the opposite of what we did at the Inter and the Super Cup.
02:10 When we were in the balance of the events, we must face them.
02:16 Hi coach, I was saying, at what point is the recovery, the lightness of which you spoke to us in Cagliari,
02:30 the fact that the team seemed to have more fun?
02:34 At the end, moments of heaviness, as in all jobs, inevitably come out.
02:41 Especially when you have worked for 3-4 years with the same coach,
02:46 it is clear that there are moments when certain things become difficult to face.
02:52 We should never forget that we play a game and the game is made for fun.
02:59 When I say fun, I don't mean to be superficial, because if you are superficial you don't have fun.
03:09 I think we need to get back to having fun on the pitch.
03:16 With all the responsibilities, we have to take on the responsibility.
03:23 If you turn off the child who started playing football, the adult who plays football has less fun.
03:31 If you have less fun, you have less fun.
03:35 We should always go into training with this spirit,
03:40 without ever forgetting that we are all privileged,
03:44 that we do this job for something we like and that we would probably have done it for free.
03:54 Let's start with this assumption.
03:57 Hi Daniele, good afternoon.
04:00 I wanted to ask you two things.
04:02 On the flight, what Bayern are you expecting?
04:04 Because they changed on Saturday, they put the defence at 3, very criticized.
04:09 You never gave up on Vecino's physicality when you play in the Champions League.
04:15 Cataldi, however, in Cagliari, he showed his ability to verticalise, which was a little lacking.
04:21 What kind of choice could you make in this game?
04:24 I don't know, Vecino wasn't particularly well today, it shouldn't be a huge problem.
04:30 But we'll see how he's doing in the last training session in the morning, and then we'll decide.
04:37 But I expect Bayern to be strong.
04:40 Because, from experience, I'll tell you that a few years ago,
04:46 preparing a game for Real Madrid, I started watching the games of the season of Real Madrid and I had a feeling.
04:52 Then they entered the Champions League and the team was not the one of the season.
04:58 It was a different team, much more determined, much more mean.
05:03 These are teams that can make mistakes in any game in the league, but the Champions League games don't make mistakes.
05:08 So I expect the strongest version.
05:10 Good morning, coach, also on the phone.
05:16 I'll ask you a question, it was first, but I'll do it to you, who is directly interested.
05:21 Now that Ciro has returned, it is not the case to make Alberto play closer,
05:27 since in the 200 goals there are many assists from Luis Alberto.
05:31 And lately Lazio have a static game, especially in midfield.
05:35 Luis Alberto is our most offensive midfielder.
05:39 So in the vast majority of the actions he should play close.
05:44 Then Luis is one who likes to touch many balls, and sometimes he comes much lower to take the ball.
05:56 I played a lot as a three-quarter, but I can't do it as a three-quarter.
06:03 A three-quarter attacks the spaces and Luis is much better at managing the ball.
06:10 Then also in a career path he has learned much more to make the real midfielder, to defend, to come and build.
06:19 So I'm happy, yes, when a team loses a game, it's always about changing the way.
06:26 Sorry if I tell you, but for me it's bullshit.
06:30 I don't see it like that, you're talking about a team that in the last 15 games played in all competitions has scored 29 points.
06:38 So a team is traveling to two points on average.
06:41 Then we are in trouble because we have completely wrong the initial part of the season.
06:47 Then we won the teams worse than us and we lost some of the strongest teams.
06:53 Clearly putting us in mistakes, Lecce, Salerno, Genoa at home.
06:59 Heavy mistakes and unfortunately we are still paying a championship.
07:05 Welcome.
07:08 Hi coach.
07:09 Since I imagine that among the objectives of Lazio there is at least to keep the result open in view of the return match.
07:18 Are you thinking of a different defensive maneuver, a team that is mentally and technically more compact, more protected in some way?
07:30 In short, since there will be above all to hold the shock wave of Bayern, thank you.
07:34 If I tell him to play with enthusiasm, to play with confidence and then I go to put an extra defender, I'm saying something not true and I'm not even credible to the players.
07:48 We do our game without many second thoughts.
07:54 Then it will probably be the field to make us play a different game from what we want to do.
08:00 But it must be the field to make us do it, not a preordinated choice.
08:04 Abate.
08:06 Hi coach.
08:07 Since Maurizio Sarri's arrival in 2021, Lazio has won the second place in two years and this year it is back to the Champions League round of 16.
08:15 These are two historical results, certainly of the Lutito era.
08:18 I wanted to understand how important is the Sarri project in Lazio and if you think that it can go beyond this in the future, what more does this club need to make another leap?
08:31 What the club needs, the president will think about it. I told him what I think. Because then we talk about many possible variants.
08:49 In the end, it's up to the individual leagues to decide. The teams have the highest turnover. It's hard to say, but in the end the economic power is decisive.
09:01 Then there are the extraordinary cases that are remembered for 20 years because they are extraordinary.
09:09 I think we can do well, even if we are not one of the national powers.
09:18 A level of organization and the search for players, everything you want. In the end, the investments will be decisive.
09:28 A question for the coach, Yustulin.
09:30 Good afternoon coach. I wanted to ask about the condition of Rovel, Patrick and Zaccagni.
09:35 Patrick did training this morning. He doesn't have a lot of pain, but he still has some difficulty in the physical fight.
09:51 Zaccagni was still out. Yesterday he was able to train well with the shoes and without the heel. But with the shoes and the heel he still has pain in both directions.
10:08 Rovel has this beginning of football that is now acute and in difficulty.
10:17 Thank you coach. Now we move to the captain, Ciro Immobile.
10:24 Let's start from here, please. Jukka.
10:27 Hi Ciro, good afternoon. I'm Jukka from calciomercato.it TV Play.
10:33 I wanted to ask you, you have been through difficult moments like all Lazio, but you as captain in an even more important way.
10:44 Are there games like these that have pushed you to keep going, to go ahead, to overcome those moments, maybe even help the rest of the team to overcome them?
10:55 No, from this point of view, no. When you have a passion to do something and you still believe in the work of the team and you see in the eyes of your teammates the desire to get back in the game,
11:12 even if sometimes you have to go down, that's the quality that has pushed me and my teammates to not give up, despite the difficulties we have had.
11:27 But as the coach said, beyond the first part of the season, we can't have big regrets this year because we have achieved an important result,
11:42 which is to play a game tomorrow that will watch the whole world against one of the strongest teams around. For us this must be a reason for satisfaction and therefore a desire to put ourselves on the pitch to give something special to the fans.
12:02 Beccarisi.
12:03 Hi Ciro, Lorenzo Beccarisi from Envu Radio. I'm going back to what you said now because obviously three years ago there was already a Lazio-Bayern in the Champions League,
12:12 but it wasn't extraordinary for you to experience it and especially for the Lazio fans because the stadium was empty.
12:19 Do you want to give yourself a great night, regardless of what the final result will be?
12:25 And above all, as a captain, how is the group and how are you approaching what is probably a gift for you after the Astralardione of last season?
12:33 The group is fine. They live this game with enthusiasm. For us, as the coach said, we have to be prepared for every little detail to be able to present the game to our best and try to put them in trouble,
12:51 because they are strong on paper. It will be a very tough game for us, but we are not living it with anxiety.
13:00 On the contrary, the team is bringing behind the victory of Cagliari this surge of enthusiasm that made us regain our light after bad moments.
13:12 Cerrotta.
13:13 Hi Ciro, Michele Cerrotta from Città Celeste. I want to stay on this topic because even after the game against Gironi in Rotterdam,
13:20 Sarri said it was difficult to approach a game without fear, which is what I think happened, you can say it, even three years ago against Bayern Munich.
13:32 What is it that sparks the spark? What is it that makes you go out on the pitch tomorrow,
13:37 knowing that it will be a success even if you have only reached this goal?
13:43 For us, the most important aspect is the game three years ago. That game was probably played badly by us.
13:55 So, having the chance to show the growth we have had over the years, even just thinking about the international experience,
14:07 for us it must be an added value that must spur us to forget that game and try to see how close we are to these strong teams.
14:22 Catena.
14:24 Good afternoon Ciro, Michele Catena, Sporta Press 24. First of all, congratulations again on the 200 goals.
14:31 Thank you.
14:32 It seems like you haven't done anything. If someone had done a quarter of your numbers, especially from the other side of the goal,
14:41 we would be watching DVDs and posters at this time. But we are used to it, we are used to it as fans and you are used to it too.
14:50 I wanted to ask you, you have faced Cristiano Ronaldo for the Scarpa d'Oro, especially Lewandowski,
14:56 very calm characters, but tomorrow you will face Harry Kane.
15:07 How much does Ciro Immobile feel "gassed" in facing a world champion again,
15:17 a legend of English football, who is now playing with one of the strongest teams in the European scene and perhaps not only. Thank you.
15:26 It has always been stimulating to face these types of players.
15:33 We are talking about one of the best in that role. Obviously, being able to compare myself to certain names in my career means a lot to me.
15:50 I understand the level I have reached and the statistics that count, especially for an attacker, the numbers, the goals scored,
16:04 the assists for the team, the goals that led to the victory.
16:10 These are things that probably when you play, at least for how I did, you don't even think about.
16:20 But then, when you are calm, you understand that you are doing extraordinary things.
16:27 I think that facing players who are stronger than the top players, than the champions,
16:35 is a way to be stimulated to give more and more and to reach their level.
16:42 Enzo Oliveira, TNT Mexico.
16:45 Ciro, I'm hooked on the question from my colleague.
16:49 In the sense that tomorrow it will not only be Lazio-Bayern, it will also be a game between Immobile and Kane for the fans.
16:58 My question is, you are very different, but you have the same goal as Kane.
17:05 What will you do tomorrow to be better than him?
17:09 Will you miss two players you know well from Serie A, like you have already beaten, like Kane and Delahaye?
17:19 Yes, as far as the game tomorrow is concerned, Kane will be thought of by Romagnoli, Patrick, Gila and Casale.
17:33 For me, what is at stake tomorrow is not a challenge between the two of us, but a challenge between Lazio and Bayern.
17:42 As I said before, we must try to put ourselves in the middle of the field,
17:50 to make ourselves understand that the achievement of the round of 16 is an important goal.
17:58 But the real goal is also the growth of the team and the club.
18:06 Fefe.
18:08 Hi Giro, I'm from calciomercato.com.
18:12 I'm going to go back to your speech about the comparison with big names.
18:17 Given the importance of tomorrow's game and the possibility of such an important stage,
18:23 how much can these games be a stimulus for your future and for thinking about trying again next year?
18:31 It's important, yes. It's fundamental for a player to always think that you're always trying to improve in the future.
18:44 This should be a stimulus, especially for the younger players.
18:50 You have to understand that thanks to the league, you can reach certain competitions and play with the best players in the world.
19:05 You have to grow as a player.
19:09 Unfortunately, I have played the Champions League a few times in my career.
19:13 I would have liked to play it more, but as I said before, if you don't have consistency in the league, it's difficult.
19:22 The Champions League has few places, given the importance of the competition.
19:26 Pizzuferrato.
19:28 Hi Giro.
19:29 I assume you have seen the three goals of Everkusen against Bayern Munich.
19:34 Looking at the typology of these three goals, did you start to count the reverse when it came on Tuesday?
19:41 I'm a bit of a mobile goal scorer.
19:45 Can you be the tactical weapon tomorrow, the match that sets the Olympic fire?
19:50 I hope so. I'm working for this. I'm in a good mental condition now.
19:58 I've had a bad time since last year.
20:01 I've brought too many things with me that I'm slowly trying to leave behind.
20:11 I'm trying to focus on what I have to do from now until the end of the season.
20:16 Last week, when I was disqualified, I was very useful.
20:21 I was able to train well, especially because there are many matches and few training sessions.
20:32 Tomorrow I'm in a good condition to go out on the pitch.
20:39 I saw Augsburg and Bayern Munich three years ago.
20:49 I had the same feeling as the coach with Real Madrid.
20:54 I said, "I can do it."
20:57 It's obvious that it's the same for us.
21:03 When you hear the Champions League anthem, these teams transform.
21:08 They're used to hearing it. They know what's waiting for them.
21:13 Hi Ciro. Good afternoon. I want to ask you about the injury.
21:24 How much of the European mentality is still present in you?
21:30 There's no competition in your role to put Ciro aside.
21:38 Do you hear the phone ringing?
21:44 No, I don't hear it from the penultimate call.
21:49 That's definitely a goal.
21:52 I'm trying to do it step by step.
21:56 It's complicated to fit everything in for all the competitions we have to do.
22:04 It's too chaotic. I like to do things seriously.
22:10 It's the same thing. If you have a good season, you reach the Champions League.
22:17 If you have a good season, you reach the national team.
22:24 I've always had this thought.
22:28 I hope to reach the end of the season in a good shape to help.
22:34 Let's finish with Cardone.
22:36 Hi Ciro.
22:38 There's been a lot of talk about Lazio's difficulty in scoring goals.
22:42 To score, to fill the space, to create chances.
22:47 Are you working on that, tactically, with the coach?
22:52 From this point of view, with all due respect for your teammates,
22:56 you're missing Zaccagni, your friend Zaccagni.
22:59 You're missing him a bit. You're missing his attack.
23:02 What are you working on to create more chances?
23:07 Yes, we're working on it.
23:09 We worked on it last week.
23:11 We saw a lot of things that we probably lacked to be able to offend more often and annoy.
23:20 I think it's always a question of getting on the pitch well.
23:27 To be able to manage the moments of the game.
23:31 Because reading the statistics, a lot of goals come from recovered balls.
23:37 There are very few teams in the world that can have such a soft play
23:42 that leads you to score a lot of goals on built action.
23:47 We tried to improve in this regard.
23:52 As for Mattia, we're waiting for him.
23:55 But I, like all my teammates, know how important he is to us.
23:59 We're trying to integrate Gustav as soon as possible,
24:06 who came from a completely different way of playing.
24:09 Pedro, who should be his "rival", is helping him.
24:17 I've never been so worried about this.
24:21 I trust my teammates.
24:26 I know how much they care about us.
24:28 They wanted to get out as soon as possible and do the things we showed everyone.