Lazio's Problem Has Little To Do With Davide Ballardini - Claudio Lotito

Davide Ballardini has been under pressure to be sacked from the Lazio job for several weeks, but the Biancocelesti boss has some support from up high to stay on.

President Claudio Lotito has given his strongest indication that Ballardini will not be exonerated, but instead, it has to do with the players' mentality.

"Both the society and coach have done their job to prepare the side for every match," Lotito said to Lazialità in TV, a show broadcast on Teleroma 56. "But if [Tommaso] Rocchi doesn't score, nor [Mauro] Zárate, it is clear that matches cannot be won.

"The current climate does not help, since the dispute against me has never ceased.

"Even after we won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa, the fans were quiet for a little while, but were awaiting to create new problems.

"Ballardini is not the problem.

"In February, there were calls for me to sack [former Lazio coach Delio] Rossi.

"It makes me laugh.

"The problem is inside the players' minds and not that of the coach.

"Aren't the examples of Atalanta, Livorno and Siena enough to see this?

"They have all changed coaches and are still down the bottom of the league, where they were before," Lotito concluded.

Lazio takes on Roma in the Roman derby this weekend.