Lazio Confirms Maurizio Sarri Departure By Mutual Consent As Atalanta Links Emerge

Lazio have confirmed that Maurizio Sarri has left the club for a second time, after a mutual agreement on Wednesday to end the 67-year-old’s contract and those of the coaching staff. Sarri is reportedly set to replace Raffaele Palladino at Atalanta, while Cristiano Giuntoli is expected to succeed Tony D'Amico as director of sport.

Lazio are believed to have agreed terms with former Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso, who is lined up to become Sarri’s successor. Gattuso would take over a team that have missed out on European football for the 2026-27 campaign and now seek a quick response in Serie A.

Sarri first coached Lazio from 2021 to 2024, when Lazio finished second in Serie A in the second season under Sarri. The former Napoli and Juventus coach then returned to Rome in June 2025 for a new spell, guiding the Biancocelesti to this season’s Coppa Italia final.

Inter defeated Lazio in that final, and league form then slipped, with the Biancocelesti ending the campaign ninth in Serie A. The failure to secure European qualification for 2026-27 added pressure, and both Lazio and Sarri now change direction as Atalanta and Gattuso prepare for new chapters.