Under-fire Pioli confident Lazio still trust him

REUTERS – Lazio coach Stefano Pioli believes the club still trusts him to do his job, despite poor recent performances, according to a media interview in the wake of the club’s latest setback.

Pioli’s future with Lazio was widely discussed in Italian media after their 1-1 draw at home to Sampdoria on Monday extended the club’s winless Serie A run to seven games.

“Until now I have the feeling that the club trusts me. From tomorrow I’ll be back to work and then the management will make the best decision for Lazio,” Pioli said in an interview on TV channel Premium Sport on Monday.

The two-times Serie A champions, who finished third last season, have fallen to 12th with 20 points from 16 games.

“Pioli’s position is not under discussion for us,” said striker Alessandro Matri, who scored Lazio’s goal in the Sampdoria draw.

The under-pressure head coach told a post-match news conference he felt his tactics were right and that his team should have won, but Sampdoria had made it difficult for them.

But he added: “It wasn’t bad luck. We didn’t win the game because it’s our fault.”

To add to Lazio’s misery, goalkeeper Federico Marchetti injured himself celebrating Matri’s late strike. Lazio said on their website (www.sslazio.it) that Marchetti may miss the home game against Udinese on Thursday, and Sunday’s fixture at table-toppers Inter Milan.

(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi and Anna Jaworska-Guidotti in Gdynia, Editing by Neville Dalton)