It was the day of the presentation of Igor Tudor. The new technician of Lazioarrived following Sarri’s resignationanswered journalists’ questions during the press conference in Formello: relive the live broadcast.
15:25
Tudor, tenth coach of the Lotito era
Igor Tudor is the tenth coach chosen by president Claudio Lotito since he took charge of Lazio. Not counting Giovanni Martusciello’s interregnum, the Biancocelesti coaches were Mimmo Caso, Giuseppe Papadopulo, Delio Rossi, Davide Ballardini, Edy Reja, Vladimir Petkovic, Stefano Pioli, Simone Inzaghi and Maurizio Sarri.
15:15
Tudor vs Allegri: equal score
The new Croatian coach will make his debut next Saturday against Juventus. Igor Tudor and Massimiliano Allegri have only faced each other on two occasions in their careers, and the record certifies one victory for each side. In the 2021-2022 season Tudor won the home match against Juventus at the helm of Verona, beating the Bianconeri 2-1. Allegri’s team won 2-0 in the return match.
15:05
Tudor, a negative record as a player against Lazio
As a player Igor Tudor had the opportunity to face Lazio in eleven occasions. The balance is not particularly favorable for the current Biancocelesti coach he only won on two occasionsdrawing two games and losing seven. Tudor played eight of the eleven matches for Juventus, the other three for Siena. Tudor lost two finals to Lazio: that of the 1998-99 Italian Super Cup (Juventus-Lazio 1-2) and the first leg of the Italian Cup final (Lazio-Juventus 2-0) of 2003-2004 in which he was sent off after 37 minutes
14:50
Tudor, three times as an opponent against Lazio
In his career as a coach, the Croatian coach has faced Lazio on three occasions, recovering a defeat on his debut in 2019 (Lazio-Udinese 2-0), a victory in the second match (Verona-Lazio 4-1) and a draw in the last occasion on which he met her (Lazio-Verona 3-3) also in the 2021-2022 championship
14:35
Tudor, uphill start
When the championship resumes, Lazio will have undergone an important test against a Juventus team in a crisis of results. Saturday 30 March the Biancocelesti will host Allegri’s team at the Olimpico – at 6.00 pm. Tuesday 2 April – at 9.00 pm – Lazio will be on stage at the Juventus Stadium for the semi-final first leg of the Italian Cup. Saturday 6 April Tudor’s Biancocelesti will be involved – at 6.00 pm – in the return derby against Roma.
14:25
Tudor wants to hurry
Igor Tudor continues to push the accelerator. Lazio will also train over the weekend, awaiting the return of the six players who are currently available for their respective national teams: Hysaj, Marusic, Vecino, Guendouzi, Isaksen and Zaccagni
14:10
Tudor: Luis Alberto can play anywhere
“Luis Alberto? The important thing is to have strong players. And Luis Alberto is a strong player. More like playing as a midfielder, behind the striker. If we want to be super offensive, he can also play in front of the defense. I see him motivated, eager. Players at the end of their career? It doesn’t exist, it’s a way of saying that doesn’t belong to me. There are players who make it, and players who don’t make it. Old Lazio? More than age, what counts are the characteristics of the players who make it. the difference”.
14:05
Tudor: I could have come to Lazio as a footballer
“I could have come to Lazio as a player, on loan, but I don’t know why the negotiations stopped at a certain point. I’m also tied to Lazio by the great friendship I have with Alen Boksic who made the history of the club here. We had the chance to hear from him, we text each other, he often comes to Rome. I think that a coach shouldn’t give up anything: you have to try to give everything to a team. Fun? I like to win. When I watch a match that I don’t like, after ten minutes I change the channel. Even the club wants to see the team win. We must always put in a bit of Italianism: if I have to make a catenaccio to win against a provincial team, I’ll make a catenaccio.”
14:00
Tudor: A coach must adapt to the players he has
“The coach always adapts to the players he has. You can try to do the same things, but they don’t always succeed in the same way. A coach must adapt, without ever giving up playing his part. I’m not interested in numbers, the important thing is to have strong players available. In defense we have a group of interesting, important players: when you have good players, you can do everything. Italian football abroad is seen as a very tactical football. Outside Italy there is it’s more rhythm, the Premier League is a league apart. Football is moving towards greater physicality, greater speed, without giving up the structure of the team. It’s not the rhythm that makes you play well, but why give up the rhythm? Here the rhythm is a little lower, but Serie A is a difficult championship, it’s not easy to score points in Italy. I’ve never left the training centre, we want to make the most of every minute. I can’t wait for the games to start.”
13:55
Tudor? Lazio with two strikers? Why not…
“I have a lot of respect for Sarri from every point of view: he played important football, he won a lot. I take this opportunity to send him a greeting. Lazio with two strikers? Yes, it could happen. The objective is to do the best. I don’t want to get into tactical questions, I only talk about it with my players in the locker room and on the pitch. They have a great work culture, the defensive phase is done well, I want to leave something of Sarri’s football. But I don’t want to give further details because it’s something that must stay inside the locker room”
13:53
Tudor, the qualities of the midfielders
“The central midfielders must have everything: tactical intelligence, insertion, dribbling, interdiction. I haven’t yet decided how we will play: 3-4-2-1? Maybe we will play three and a half…”
13:50
Tudor: Immobile made history
“Juve? It’s important to do well in these next two matches. I too have been a player, and when the big teams arrive the players are always more motivated. But I’m hammering when I play with the provincial teams, because there there is the risk of lowering attention. I’m happy to be here. Immobile? Ciro made history at Lazio, then a little something happens and all hell happens. All the Lazio people have a great love for Immobile, then a little thing happens and the news becomes huge. I see it eager, I liked his attitude in Frosinone when he was on the bench and Castellanos scored.”
13:45
Tudor: I like the uphill start
“Long-term planning is useless. I believe in the present. We will have to start strong straight away, and it won’t be easy to convey so many concepts in a short time. At the beginning we have difficult games, but I like to start this way. We must believe in sacrifice , in sweat: the difference is made by the players with their desire and their qualities. I think we can do well with this team. The length of the contract doesn’t interest me: if I work well I’ll move on, if I don’t work well I can also go home tomorrow. I live from the present, and I live from work. Guendouzi? I have a good relationship with him, he always wants to play and always wants to win. I’m happy to find him again, he has a great wealth of experience: we will do well together.”
13:43
Tudor: I am no iron sergeant
“There is a style of play and there is a form of play. I don’t want to talk about individuals, I am very careful and I always choose what I see in training. There is a writing in the gym that represents me: it is not the desire to win, but the desire to prepare that makes the difference. I’m not an iron sergeant, it’s a bad description. Then, as the president said, you need carrots and sticks. But here the boys are available, they want to do Coaching in Italy is easier because there is a great work culture among the players. I am a demanding coach in training, the players can ask me for anything… except money.”
13:38
Tudor’s first words
“Lazio left me with a very good impression, there are good guys willing to work. There is a work culture that Sarri created, and therefore compliments should be paid to him. The guys know that we can and must do better , but it’s a good start. I have to be intelligent, I have to keep the things I like and gradually introduce new things. I chose Lazio because it’s an important team, there are few coaches in the world who wouldn’t accept Lazio. Here the figure of the coach is important, seen from the outside there is a project here: there is the support of the club, there are the structures, there is a good team. The tactics? I still have to evaluate some situations. there are players who can do two modules, there are others who can do one, there are players who can do everything. There are still two months, with several championship matches and there is the cup: the result is what counts” .
13:31
President Lotito introduces Igor Tudor
“I have the pleasure of being here, because I considered it indispensable – states president Lotito – the choice of the coach was a thoughtful choice. I believed that Tudor was the right person to lead the team because he has the right characteristics to lead Lazio following an unexpected moment in which the team had some shortcomings related more to a lack of knowledge of their means and concentration. Tudor is the right man, both from a tactical and motivational point of view. Tudor’s choice was made to start a new project. The team has all the potential to achieve the objectives. I called Tudor after Sarri’s resignation, and after having made a careful evaluation. It’s a confident choice, I’m happy: I found a healthy person from a moral point of view, he has no second thoughts.”
13:30
Igor Tudor, the presentation conference
In a few moments, in the press room of the Formello sports center, the presentation conference of the new Lazio coach Igor Tudor will begin. (Read more)
13:25
Igor Tudor’s staff
After the resignation of Sarri and his technical staff – with the exception of Martusciello – Lazio hired three other collaborators in addition to Igor Tudor. The Croatian coach will have as his deputy Ivan Javorcicthe goalkeeping coach is also on the staff Tomislav Rogic and the match analyst Giuseppe Maiuri.
13:20
Tudor: from Hajduk to Lazio, the stages of his career
Igor Tudor began his career with Hajduk Split in 2013. After two seasons on the Croatian bench, he coached in Greece, with Paok Thessaloniki. In 2016 he took over the technical leadership of Turkish side Karabukspor, the following year he moved to Galatasaray. In 2018 his first experience in Italy with Udinese. He takes over the leadership of the Friulians in the following championship as well. In January 2020 he returns to Hajduk Split. In the summer of the same year he accepted the position as assistant coach of Juventus alongside Andrea Pirlo. In the 2021-2022 championship he coaches Verona. He was later hired to manage Marseille. Since 18 March 2024 he has been the coach of Lazio.
13:10
Tudor, third experience in Serie A
Igor Tudor was born in Split on 16 April 1978. After his career as a footballer, the Croatian began his career as a coach. This is his third role on an Italian bench after having coached Udinese and Verona.
13:00
Tudor, the presentation press conference
The new Biancoceleste coach will answer journalists’ questions from the Formello press room: follow the live broadcast.
Formello