Super Eagles and Lazio midfielder Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru is convinced he’ll become a better player under former Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Manchester City man moved to Lazio from Hatayspor on loan last season. The Eagles opted to sign Bashiru permanently for €3.43m until the summer of 2028.
The Eagles herald a new start for the 2025/2026 season, reappointing their former coach, Maurizio Sarri, who resigned from the club in March 2024, taking a 15-month break from coaching.
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The 66-year-old is now back at the dugout at the Stadio Olimpico, and Dele Bashiru revealed the high demands of the former Juventus gaffer after playing 45 minutes in Lazio’s pre-season clash against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. The Turkish side secured a slender 1-0 victory.
“When I was at Hatayspor, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray were very good teams, very difficult to play against. They have a lot of quality players who have played in all the top leagues before.
“The most important thing is to get an early goal and take the fans out of the match. If you can do that, then you should have a good game against them, but it’s always difficult to get an early goal against teams like this.
“It was good to get a few more minutes today in my legs. Of course, it was a difficult match for the team. I think we are still adapting to the new tactics,” the Super Eagles star told Lazio Style Channel.
“We are improving every day in training, so in a few games we will start showing it as soon as possible. I think everything will go well.”
‘He [Sarri] is a very, very top-level coach. Everyone is happy to have him here. For me, a player who hasn’t had that much experience at the highest level, it’s important for me to be focused on training, listening to his tactics.
“If I carry on with these trainings, I will grow to be a strong player,” the ex-Hatayspor midfielder said about the former Chelsea coach.
Dele-Bashiru’s first season in Italy wasn’t without its struggles, but the versatile midfielder is convinced it’ll be a better second year.
“Of course, I am happy that I am still here for my second year at Lazio. I am looking forward to a very good season with the team.
“Hopefully, we can qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Hopefully, we can have many good games for the fans.
“For my objectives, I just try to help the team as much as possible, if that’s with goals and assists, if I’m given the chance, I’ll try to prove myself.
“I am confident next season will go well for me and the team. Let’s see how it goes.
“We’ll take it one step at a time, let’s have a good pre-season. Hopefully, we will win the next few games, which will get us in a good position for the beginning of the season.”
Lazio kick-start their Serie A campaign with a trip to Como. Before then, they’ll engage in pre-season fixtures against Galatasaray, Burnley and Atromitos.