Baroni unveiled as new Lazio coach: ‘The pinnacle of my career’ | OneFootball

Marco Baroni has officially been unveiled as new head coach of Lazio, claiming that the appointment is the ‘pinnacle’ of his career during his first press conference on Monday.

The 60-year-old tactician was appointed on a ‘multi-year’ contract on June 11, and it is understood that the contract will run for two years until the summer of 2026 with the option of an additional 12 months.

Baroni will be the third Lazio coach in just under four months, following the resignation of Maurizio Sarri in March and the short-lived tenure of Igor Tudor in the months before the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Lazio will be Baroni’s 17th appointment in a 24-year-long career, which has recently taken him through Cremonese, Reggina, Lecce and Hellas Verona.

With the latter, he helped secure survival in Serie A with relative comfort, eventually finishing the 2023-24 campaign in 13th place with 38 points.

Baroni: ‘This is the pinnacle of my career’

Speaking at his first press conference on Monday, Baroni said: “I was delighted to sign for Lazio. It’s the pinnacle of my career. There is desire and awareness from myself and the staff. I am someone who loves challenges, I want to pass this on to the team,” reported via The Laziali.

He continued: “We must not be afraid, but insead have the desire for a challenge. The team must not play for itself, but for the fans. We will work on it.

“I inherit a team that has a work culture, but we will have to intensif it, which is something that I have always brought to my teams in the past, that is, the value aspect that makes the difference on all levels. We need the Lazio spirit right away.”

Discussing the squad that he currently has at his disposal, the coach added: “I never look at what is missing, but instead on what I have. Young players have arrived, so there is a rejuvenation process that adapts to the football we want to adopt. I always put the player at the centre of the project, we have to help him optimise his performance.”

Expanding on the tactics that he could deploy in the capital, Baroni added: “The system will definitely include a 4-man defence with two wingers. Then there are small variables. But the most important aspects are balance, ferocity and the ability to take on opponents. I like rhythmic football in both phases.”