Shunned Lazio's season in danger of falling apart
MILAN (Reuters) - Shunned by their fans and confined to their training camp on the orders of their president, Lazio are in danger of seeing their season fall apart after a four-match winless streak.
After starting their campaign with dreams of the Champions League, Lazio have slumped so badly in Serie A that defeat at Empoli on Sunday could spell the end for coach Stefano Pioli who exceeded expectations by leading them to third last season.
Lazio are eighth with 19 points but defeat on Sunday would leave them only one point ahead of Empoli who are 16th.
Only 17,000 fans watched last Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to Palermo where president Claudio Lotito was so angry with the team's performance that he ordered the players to be confined to the Formello training camp this week.
The so-called "ritiro" is a traditional punishment in Italy whenever a team appear to be underperforming and was used at both Napoli and AC Milan last season.
"The decision was taken by the club in conjunction with the coach," Pioli told reporters. "We are using these days to chat, fraternise and see where we can improve.
"It's an important and delicate moment where the results and performances in the championship are not good enough.
"We can do more and we have to improve from the technical and tactical point of view, as well as our attitude."
Lazio's season began amid optimism but the mood darkened after defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League playoff round was followed by a 5-0 reverse at Napoli and 4-0 loss at Chievo in the league.
Yet a short-lived revival was followed by the latest slump, which included another defeat to neighbours AS Roma and has put them back in crisis mode.
"Words don't interest me much. What counts is attitude. I'm seeing a squad which wants to get out of this situation. We want to fight and suffer together," said Pioli.
Rudi Garcia's position as coach of neighbours AS Roma, who are fourth on 27 points, is also the subject of speculation following their 6-1 defeat at Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Italian media have reported that club president James Pallotta was so angry at the performance that he has given Garcia five matches to save his job, starting at home to Atalanta on Sunday.
Paulo Dybala will return to Palermo, the club who sold him to Juventus for 40 million euros ($42.44 million) as the champions, sixth with 21 points, look for a fourth successive league win after a poor start.
The weekend's matches conclude with the biggest match on Monday night when leaders Inter Milan (30 points) visit joint-second Napoli (28).
($1 = 0.9424 euros)
(Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Ian Chadband)