Luis Alberto stated at the end of the game against Salernitana that he had asked the club to terminate his contract, but President Claudio Lotito said “no way”.
At the end of Lazio’s victorious game on Friday, Luis Alberto stated in front of the cameras that he wanted to leave. “I know that this is my last season here, I won’t be part of the club any longer. I don’t want to take one more Euro from Lazio, I’ve already asked for my contract to be terminated. I’ll leave the next four years to others – rightly so, stepping aside from this club that has given me a lot. The time has come to step aside and leave my salary to others.”
A surprise, nobody expected this especially because the Spaniard made such a fuss in the summer to have his contract extended.
On Saturday the club said they knew nothing about it. Interviewed by Lazio Style Channel, sports director Angelo Fabiani stated: “When Tudor arrived, Luis Alberto told me that, for a series of reasons, he would probably prefer to leave at the end of the year. I told him in front of his agent that Lazio have a duty to finish the season in the best possible way, then, at the end, his position too would be evaluated. Nobody promised termination of the contract, I also remind myself in particular that in the summer the player had his contract renewed for four years. There was a moment of friction, and he threatened not to go to pre-season training with the team. Through the mediation of myself and president Lotito, an agreement was reached and the contract was signed on the conditions of the player's entourage. After six months he suddenly says he is leaving the money to Lazio. Contracts are made to be respected, both on one side and the other, it is a situation that must be evaluated calmly. How will the Luis Alberto affair end? It is clear that it will not go unnoticed in the eyes of the club. We must not make war on anyone, we are for peace, but we do not accept compromises of any kind. Luis Alberto received the renewal as he wanted, I don't know what has happened six months later. I will talk to him and he will explain his inappropriate statements, he may have his reasons and we will listen to them. We will then draw our conclusions."
Lotito was even more to the point. Speaking to Adnkronos, he said “He probably wants to leave for free. But no, he has a four-year contract. If he wants to go he has to find a team that can buy him. We are a company listed on the stock exchange, these are things that cause both economic damage and to our image. Letting him go on a free transfer from a listed company means impoverishing the assets and I'm not crazy, the shareholders would kill me and they would be right”.
The hostilities have just begun.
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