Lazio is once again preparing for a coaching change, with Thiago Motta leading a growing shortlist that also includes club legends and rising Serie A managers.
Another summer, another managerial reset appears to be unfolding at SS Lazio.
The return of Maurizio Sarri now looks destined to end after less than a year, with the veteran coach expected to say goodbye to supporters following Saturday’s match against Pisa at the Stadio Olimpico.
According to reports in Italy, Sarri has not yet formally informed Lazio of his final decision, but the expectation inside the club is that he will leave to take over either SSC Napoli or Atalanta BC this summer.
That uncertainty has already pushed president Claudio Lotito into another coaching search — a familiar situation for Lazio after a turbulent stretch of managerial turnover since Sarri’s original resignation in 2024.
Following the brief eras of Igor Tudor and Marco Baroni, Lazio now faces yet another attempt to rebuild its technical project.
And the name currently generating the most intrigue is Thiago Motta.
The former Juventus FC coach is reportedly admired by Lotito, and initial contact between the parties is believed to have already taken place.
Despite remaining under contract with Juventus until 2027, Motta has so far rejected opportunities from clubs including AS Monaco FC, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Spartak Moscow, and Real Sociedad.
Sources close to the situation suggest the coach is waiting for a project capable of reigniting his career after a difficult spell in Turin.
Lazio could offer exactly that.
Motta’s reputation remains extremely high thanks to the fluid, modern soccer he developed during his successful stint at Bologna FC 1909, where he built one of Serie A’s most entertaining tactical systems.
While his Juventus experience proved far more complicated, Lazio believes his ideas and long-term vision could fit the club’s desire for a technical reset.
But Motta is far from the only candidate under consideration.
Among the Italian options, Lazio is also monitoring Raffaele Palladino and Fabio Pisacane.
Palladino is reportedly expected to leave Atalanta and is appreciated for the attacking soccer he introduced in Bergamo, helping the club recover after a difficult period under Ivan Jurić.
Pisacane, meanwhile, enhanced his reputation after guiding Cagliari Calcio to a comfortable Serie A survival while giving significant opportunities to young players.
Lazio has also revisited the possibility of appointing a former club hero.
Sérgio Conceição and Matías Almeyda — both remembered fondly by Lazio supporters from the club’s Scudetto-winning era — are again being discussed internally.
Conceição is currently managing Al-Ittihad Club and is believed to be open to a return to Italian soccer.
Almeyda recently left Sevilla FC after a difficult season complicated by financial and organizational instability, though he has already received an offer from Mexican side CF Monterrey.
Both former Lazio stars would likely generate immediate enthusiasm among fans at a time when the atmosphere around the Olimpico has grown increasingly tense.
Other names continue to circulate as well, including Miroslav Klose — currently coaching in Germany’s second division — and Kosta Runjaić of Udinese Calcio.
For now, however, Lazio’s entire coaching search remains tied to Sarri’s final decision.
Once the veteran manager officially steps aside, Lotito is expected to move quickly.
And once again, Lazio will begin another new cycle.
