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Lotito lashes out at critics Friday 21 September, 2007

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Lazio President Claudio Lotito is still an unpopular figure despite taking the club from bankruptcy to the Champions League. “What more do you want?”

The businessman bought up the side after the disastrous financial mismanagement of former patron Sergio Cragnotti left them on the brink of collapse and, despite cutting costs and selling star names, has succeeded in getting them back into Europe’s elite.


“I took on a club that was dead and now the fans can see Lazio play Real Madrid in the Champions League,” noted Lotito in reaction to rumours he is ready to sell up.


“It is a complete lie. I have no intention of selling, now or ever. I have torn up the rulebook of Italian football and want to throw the merchants out of the temple.


“Why does everything I do have to be turned into a negative? I took this club to the Champions League by balancing the books. The team is only struggling a little now because the Coach and fitness staff quite rightly prepared them for the long term.”


The Biancocelesti have drawn all three Serie A games this season and fought back for a 1-1 result away to Olympiacos midweek.


“We deserved to win in Athens and certainly were not humiliated. Let us not forget that other Italian clubs lost the opening Champions League tie this week.”


There are problems within the team, though, as Tommaso Rocchi has repeatedly complained at the lack of a pay rise or contract extension.


“Around 50 per cent of the squad has a five-year contract and Lorenzo De Silvestri is the only one whose deal is coming up, but everything has to be faced in the exclusive interests of the club. We have a team capable of holding up against any opponent,” Lotito told ‘Radio Radio.’


The businessman has hit headlines recently with his threats to build a new stadium outside of Rome city centre.


“I am forced to make this project. If in Rome we do not have the chance to make our own arena, what choice do I have? I had provided land for free that was signed over to SS Lazio, not to Lotito, but that still wasn’t enough.”


In Italy all stadiums are owned by the city council and only rented to the clubs on matchday.

channel4.com - Football Italia