Lazio ‘considering’ ex-Leyton Orient boss who lasted 27 games and was relegated

Serie A side Lazio are said to be ‘considering’ an ex-Leyton Orient boss who lasted 27 games and was relegated, getting fans talking.

The Italian outfit are on the hunt for a new manager after Simone Inzaghi was snapped up by Inter Milan following Antonio Conte’s departure – and it could see them turn to ex-O’s boss Fabio Liverani, yes really.

With the blue side of Rome finishing in 6th place to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, they carry some weight as a prospect for a manager.

However Sky Sports Italia (via Football Italia) have claimed that their pursuit of a new boss could see Lazio turn to a man who saw relegation in English football.

They are prioritising Maurizio Sarri, who has been out of a job since August last year after his departure from Juventus.

Having met several times with the club’s director of sport Igli Tare, a meeting was expected to take place with president Claudio Lotito on Thursday.

Though the report states that, should they fail to lure the former Chelsea boss to the Stadio Olympic, they will ‘consider’ turning to Fabio Liverani.

The 45-year-old has been out of work for eight months after being sacked by Parma with just four wins from 18 games after stints with Genoa, Ternana and Lecce.

His most infamous spell, though, came with Leyton Orient during the 2014/15 campaign.

His squad back then: Adam Legzdins, Elliott Omozusi, Gary Sawyer, Romain Vincelot, Scott Cuthbert, Mathieu Baudry, Dean Cox, Lloyd James, Kevin Lisbie, Dave Mooney, Jobi McAnuff, Shane Lowry, Shaun Batt, Nathan Clarke, Harry Lee, Josh Wright, Bradley Pritchard, Scott Kashket, Marvin Bartley, Charlie Grainger, Andis Nikolaou, Chris Dagnall, Darius Henderson, Sam Ling, Luke O’Neill, Jay Simpson, Montel Agyemang, Victor Adeboyejo, Gianvito Plasmati, Sam Sargeant, Andrea Dossena, Gary Woods, Ryan Hedges, Jake Taylor, Alex Cisak

Arriving in December that season at the League One side following the departure of Mauro Milanese, the Italian inherited a side with just four league wins from 19 games played.

Liverani, though, could not turn their fortunes around as he recorded eight from 27 matches – not enough to survive the drop to League Two.

He was immediately shown the door at the end of the season, taking a year off before arriving at another Italian club in Genoa.

He does know Lazio well, having made more than 100 appearances over five years as a player before leaving in 2006.

Liverani’s playing career:

Youth career
1994–1995 – Palermo
1995–1996 – Napoli
1996 – Cagliari

Senior career
1996 – Nocerina – 2 games (0 goals)
1997–2000 – Viterbese – 104 games (18 goals)
2000–2001 – Perugia – 32 games (3 goals)
2001–2006 – Lazio – 126 games (6 goals)
2006–2008 – Fiorentina – 64 games (1 goals)
2008–2011 – Palermo – 66 games (0 goals)
2011 – Lugano
Total – 394 games (28 goals)

National team
2001–2006 Italy 3 games (0 goals)

MANAGERIAL STATS:

Genoa – 7 June 2013 until 29 September 2013 – 7 games, 1 win, 2 draws, 4 defeats, 7 goals for, 12 goals against, −5 goal difference, 14.29 win %
Leyton Orient – 8 December 2014 until 13 May 2015 – 27 games, 8 wins, 6 draws, 13 defeats, 35 goals for, 40 goals against, −5 goal difference, 29.63 win %
Ternana – 6 March 2017 until 30 June 2017 – 13 games, 8 wins, 2 draws, 3 defeats, 19 goals for, 11 goals against, +8 goal difference, 61.54 win %
Lecce – 17 September 2017 until 19 August 2020 – 115 games, 51 wins, 27 draws, 37 defeats, 179 goals for, 171 goals against, +8 goal difference, 44.35 win %
Parma – 28 August 2020 until 7 January 2021 – 18 games, 4 wins, 6 draws, 8 defeats, 18 goals for, 33 goals against, −15 goal difference, 22.22 win %
Total – 180 games, 72 wins, 43 draws, 65 defeats, 258 goals for, 267 goals against, −9 goal difference, 40.00 win %

His style of play is as described: “In spite of his lack of pace, agility, stamina, or defensive skills,Liverani was a highly creative, reliable, and quick-thinking player, who was known in particular for his technique, vision, range of distribution, and precise passing with his left foot, which enabled him to create chances for teammates, and made him an excellent assist provider.

Due to his skills and ability to set the tempo of his team’s play in midfield, he usually operated in the centre or in front of the back-line, where he functioned as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield.

In addition to his playmaking abilities as a footballer, he also stood out for his mentality and leadership, both on and off the pitch.

After seeing that Lazio are ‘considering’ the ex-Leyton Orient boss who lasted 27 games and was relegated… can you recall any other managers to have started out at a lower league club, only to end up at a top flight club? Let us know on our socials!