In Rome, where Ciro Immobile turned Lazio goals into a decade-long bond with the Olimpico, the former striker has begun viewing Italian football from the touchline. The 36-year-old, Lazio’s all-time leading scorer, has taken charge of Italy’s Under-16 side after ending a career that brought 350 goals, including 207 for the Biancocelesti.
Immobile said the decision to stop last summer came once he no longer felt able to meet his own standards. He described retirement as an act of respect, both for himself and for those watching him.
Quick facts
- Immobile retired aged 36 after scoring 350 senior career goals.
- His 207 Lazio goals made him the club’s record scorer.
- He has started work as head coach of Italy’s Under-16 national team.
- He won Euro 2021 with Italy despite sustained criticism of his international scoring record.
- He hopes to be in charge of the senior Italy side within the next decade.
“When you own a Rolls-Royce and realise it cannot move as it once did, you have to accept it,” Immobile said. “I was that Rolls-Royce. Things were only coming off halfway for me, and I did not want to leave behind an unflattering memory.”
His move into youth international management has also sharpened his long-term ambition. Immobile said he still has much to learn, but wants to be on the Italy bench in 10 years’ time.
He spoke warmly of Roberto Mancini’s spell with the national team, calling him the right appointment, particularly for restoring unity and trusting younger players. In Immobile’s view, Mancini understood that character matters in a squad as much as technical ability, and did not burden players with unnecessary pressure in training or in the dressing room.
The former forward’s Italy years were less smooth than his Lazio career. His prolific club record did not consistently carry over to the Azzurri, making him a frequent target for criticism, but he remained part of the group that lifted the European Championship in 2021.
Leaving Lazio was another difficult passage. Immobile said he felt the club had begun to usher him towards the exit, before he ultimately chose to raise his own hand and depart. Even so, he insisted that his relationship with president Claudio Lotito remained close until the end, describing it as similar to that between father and son.
That closeness made the separation more painful, he said, but he believed his departure removed uncomfortable circumstances for everyone involved.
Among the coaches who shaped him, Immobile singled out Simone Inzaghi, his former Lazio manager, for his human qualities and the relationship their families developed. At the other end, he said he gained least from Jürgen Klopp, not through any fault of the German coach but because Immobile was still too young at that stage of his development.
