Lazio Coach Stings: ”I Certainly Didn’t Compliment the Ref, Ludogorets Didn’t Want to to Play”

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The Laziali

·28 novembre 2024

Lazio Coach Stings: ”I Certainly Didn’t Compliment the Ref, Ludogorets Didn’t Want to to Play”

Lazio boss Marco Baroni wasn’t in a pleasant mood after settling for a draw against Ludogorets in a contest marred by controversy.

The Biancocelesti were widely expected to maintain their perfect Europa League when they hosted the struggling Bulgarians at the Stadio Olimpico. However, the visitors fought valiantly at the back as the Italians failed to find any spaces.

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Baroni Aims Dig at Match Official

The encounter also witnessed a highly controversial episode in the second half, when the match official refused to award Lazio a penalty when Erick Marcus brought down Gustav Isaksen inside the box, even after being summoned for on-field review by the VAR. So in his post-match press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Baroni stung Duje Strukan for his dubious decision.

I usually don’t comment on the refereeing. But when the team always plays in the opponent’s half and collects six yellow cards… and then you had that episode [the denied spot-kick]. I certainly didn’t compliment the referee after the match. But that’s not the problem, let’s not complain about the refereeing, it’s not something we can control. In the second half, the team picked up the pace and we hit the crossbar. But we weren’t very neat in finishing and crossing. We should have scored, but we were really good at the back.

Ludogorets’ Ultra-Defensive Approach

On another note, the 61-year-old insisted that Ludogorets had no intention to play proper football, as their solitary mission was to deny Lazio from scoring.

Ludogorets only came to defend deep. Had we had scored, spaces would have opened up and it would have been a different game. In the first half we were slow to move the ball. Today, they didn’t want to play, they only thought about taking away the result, even wasting time. But they played their game and we had to do better. These things happen in big matches, even in finals. We played our game. Defensively we did really well, even if wasn’t too evident. We never allowed them to counter.

Quashing Transfer Rumors

Lazio were linked with CSKA Sofia’s Cameroonian midfielder James Eto’o, but Baroni categorically denied the rumor.

Interested in Eto’o? No, absolutely not.

The Halftime Changes

The Biancocelesti coach also explained the three changes he made at halftime, when he brought in Taty Castellanos, Gustav Isaksen and Manuel Zaccagni for Boulaye Dia, Loum Tchaouna and Luca Pellegrini.

I substituted Pellegrini at halftime because we were already planning on changing him in the second half, and he was on a yellow card. It was planned because he is the only left-back available [with Nuno Tavares still injured]. Then I understood the mood, that’s why I also took off Tchaouna who was booked. We were planning on resting Guendouzi, but Vecino asked for a change. I took off Pedro because he couldn’t take it anymore. I switched Noslin to the wing not because he was doing badly, but because against this defensive Ludogorets it wasn’t his game, neither for him nor for Tchaouna. These guys are a great asset for us that we have to develop. You have to remember Felipe Anderson and Immobile when they first arrived at Lazio.