Baroni was unveiled as new Lazio coach this morning.
Lotito said: "It is an opportunity to take stock of the situation and dispel a series of considerations that do not correspond to the reality that I read in the newspapers and hear on the radio. Lazio is not downsizing, it is reorganizing by trying to enhance merit.
"The choice of coach Baroni is a thought-out, deliberate choice based on the technical evaluation of the quality of the person and on the project that Lazio intends to undertake on a team that will be based on strength and on running. Football has changed, in the past we looked for flags but now we don't see the flags in other teams.
"I was one of the few who wanted to maintain fixed points, but then the players' choices were different and were individual choices that are not linked to affection for the white and blue shirt.
"We are relying on a coach who doesn't chase theories, those who deserve play, those who don't deserve don't play, and a player doesn't just play for the name he has, the place is earned on the pitch. This is the philosophy and this lack of application led to the dismissal of two coaches, and I would like to underline that there were no problems with the club, on the contrary they underlined how the players must put themselves at the service of the club.
"Merit must be rewarded, players of the past like (Antonio) Di Natale at Udinese who refused any offer, today football has changed, the attachment to the shirt for economic interests is no longer there. We want to bring back an organised, efficient and proactive team, which puts on a show where the players take to the pitch to demonstrate their their commitment with sweaty shirts, something that hasn't happened in the past."