Italian media outlet football-italia reported that Lazio boss Sarri talked about his relationship with Mourinho. Sarri said there was no rivalry between himself and Mourinho and that as a man, Mourinho gave him a good impression. Sarri also joked that he had quit smoking for several days in response to Mourinho's complaints about the schedule after the Europa League.
Screenshot of the football-italia report
Sarri said: "Derby is derby and there's no other way to look at this game. It's a different race than the rest of the season and must be seen as a unique one, not defined by the ranking of the standings. The potential of the team will be maximized, there is nothing more motivating than a derby, of course, we know how important the derby is for the fans. ”
Mourinho and Sarri have both coached Chelsea, and both have won Serie A titles, what is the relationship between these two? Sarri responded: "There is no competition between me and Mourinho, Lazio vs Roma, we can't act as if the coach is more important than the team. I've talked to Mourinho a few times and as a man he made a good impression on me. ”
After the Europa League match against Vitesse, Mourinho complained that his side was still playing in European competitions, but Sarri smoked a cigarette in front of the TV at home. Sarri joked, "I've been quit smoking for a few days now, and it's a little late for him to come to a party." However, I may start smoking again at any time. ”
The two teams met in the first leg of the season, with Lazio beating Roma 3-2. The two teams are currently only one point apart in the standings, with Lazio in 5th place with 49 points and Roma in 7th with 48 points.