Shell-Shocked Marco Baroni: ”Lazio Can’t Fall Apart Like This”

Lazio manager Marco Baroni made a Mea Culpa following his team’s shocking collapse at home against Inter Milan.

Marco Baroni Takes Responsibility for Appalling Defeat

The Biancocelesti were looking to build on their recent exploits against Napoli and Ajax by beating the reigning Italian champions, but instead found themselves on the receiving end of the biggest poundings of the year. The Aquile astonishingly lost the contest by six unanswered goals. Therefore, Baroni took full responsibility for the result in his post-match interview with DAZN (via La Lazio Siamo).

I’m sorry for the team and the fans, I take responsibility. We played a good forty minutes, but it wasn’t enough. The team fell apart. There are things that you can’t allow yousreslf to do against Inter. I didn’t control the team from an emotional standpoint, and so I take full responsibility.

No Alibis

Lazio were certainly impeded by the circumstances, which include losing Mario Gila to injury and then his replacement Samuel Gigot which forced a makeshift backline, while they were unfortunate to concede a spot-kick from a handball. Nevertheless, the manager insists these incidents cannot justify the shockingly large result.

I’ve already spoken to the players. This cannot happen to a team like us, I could talk about the unfortunate situations, but it’s useless. We lost our nerves. The team can’t fall apart like this. It must be an accident along the way against a great team to which you can’t allow any space.

Explaining the Heavy Result

Nevertheless, the 61-year-old still defended his 4-2-3-1 formation, insisting it wasn’t the reason behind the catastrophic defeat.

When we play with an offensive player between the lines, the team creates important situations, also thanks to the movement of the wingers. The nervous breakdown is also due to the packed schedule and tired legs, but you can’t lose like this. This is the first time it’s happened, but it can’t happen against a team that that punishes you when they steal possession.

This is not a question of formations. We have widened and stretched out, which is something we usually don’t do and that’s why we are still able to play with four offensive players.