Lazio embroiled in civil war ahead of Celtic Champions League clash as president slaps down Maurizio Sarri

Lazio are embroiled in a civil war ahead of their Champions League showdown at Celtic after the president Claudio Lotito hit back at manager Maurizio Sarri following the coach's sideswipe at the club's transfer business.

Celtic host the Rome giants on Wednesday in matchday two, looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Feyenoord in their first group stage outing. But Lazio lost for the fourth time in seven Serie A games at the weekend, going down 2-0 to AC Milan at San Siro. After the match, former Chelsea, Napoli and Juventus boss Sarri appeared to be critical of their last transfer window. He said: "I started off with a list of players who were my 'A' choice and had a list that went all the way to 'Z'. And some of the players who arrived were closer to the end of the list.

"I ended up saying yes to other players. Everyone knows full well that the players I targeted did not arrive, so I have to make do with what I have at my disposal."

But that's prompted a slap-down from the club's president Lotito, who defended their transfer dealings. He said: "The reinforcements were strong. There is no gap between us and the big teams. Even in the first half against Milan, we showed that we could fight on equal terms and the new signings Nicolo Rovella and Taty Castellanos were among the best on the pitch.

"In every club in the world, the signings are decided by the managers and furthermore the last transfer market has nothing to do with what is happening. Unfortunately, individual errors and some unfortunate episodes are working against us. We need a cohesive spirit to get out of this moment, including from the manager."