Inzaghi extends Lazio contract after stellar 1st season

Simone Inzaghi, who led Lazio to the Coppa Italia final and a fifth-place finish during an impressive debut season on the touchline, has signed a new contract with the Biancocelesti that runs until 2020, the club confirmed Wednesday.

In his first full experience in charge of a senior side, Inzaghi, 41, enjoyed a much better start to life in management than his brother, Filippo, who was fired after a single campaign at the helm of AC Milan.

After serving as a caretaker in the final months of the 2015-16 campaign, Inzaghi nearly accepted a job with second-tier Salernitana when Lazio came calling again. Marcelo Bielsa's sudden resignation in July forced the club to scramble for a replacement, and Inzaghi agreed to take over.

What ensued was unexpected success under the Italian, who oversaw some breathtaking counter-attacking football in famous Coppa Italia wins against Inter and Roma.

Lazio struggled to compete with Italy's biggest hitters in Serie A, losing to Napoli, Juventus, and AC Milan, and finished the season with just three wins in its final 10 matches across all competitions. But the club managed to qualify for the Europa League after defeating most teams below it in the standings.

Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson, who suffered under the burden of increased expectations in previous years, benefited from Inzaghi's tutelage, while 22-year-old Keita Balde put up the best numbers of his young career, scoring 16 goals in Serie A and drawing reported interest from Milan and Juventus.