Maurizio Sarri reportedly turned down an offer to become Nottingham Forest's manager after leaving Lazio earlier this month.
The former Chelsea and Juventus boss resigned as the Biancocelesti manager following a home defeat to strugglers Udinese on March 11.
That came shortly after Lazio were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena in their last-16 second leg.
Sarri was often frustrated with how the club was run by owner Claudio Lotito, and the two parties were happy to part ways after the manager offered his resignation.
Lazio have since hired Igor Tudor with the side lingering down in ninth in Serie A and in danger of missing out on Europe next season.
Despite his very public-strained relationship with the ownership at Lazio though, that allegedly did not stop Forest from looking to make him their next manager.
Journalist Alfredo Pedulla claims that just a few days after resigning from his post in the Italian capital, Forest got in touch with Sarri with a request to take over immediately from Nuno Espirito Santo.
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Nuno was only hired in December, replacing fans favourite Steve Cooper in the dugout, but Forest have since slipped into the bottom three thanks to a mix of poor form, and a four-point penalty imposed on them by the Premier League.
In 12 Premier League matches since taking charge, Nuno has taken just 11 points, with his appointment not having the desired effect that owner Evangelos Marinakis was hoping for.
The Forest owner had ambitions of turning Forest into a top-half club that could challenge for Europe, but their top-flight status is now in serious doubt, especially after the recent points deduction.
Sarri is said to have turned down the approach from Forest though, after being offered a three-year contract and a healthy transfer budget to spend in the summer, something he was not afforded at Lazio.
Instead, Sarri is set to take some time away from football, having spent almost 12 years continuously managing at the top level, since taking over at Empoli in 2012.
On Monday, Forest released a statement showcasing their intent to appeal against the points penalty handed to them last week, with a decision expected to arrive sometime in mid-April.
The team will return to action with a home clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday, as Nuno's job security is now set to come under the spotlight.
Andrew Delaney
