Claudio Lotito Brags About Lazio Star: “Worth 100 Times More Than Samuele Ricci”

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The Laziali

·17 Februari 2025

Claudio Lotito Brags About Lazio Star: “Worth 100 Times More Than Samuele Ricci”

Lazio president Claudio Lotito tackled several topics, including the recent draw against Napoli and his management of the club.

The Background

Last summer, the Biancocelesti parted ways with some of their most influential players over the past few years, particularly Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson, replacing them with less renowned stars. Therefore, most punters who bet on Serie A didn’t put their money on Lazio achieving much this season with a squad that lacks star power.

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Lazio on the Right Track

Nevertheless, Lotito feels he has proven his doubters wrong, as the team is currently competing for Champions League qualification while enjoying great success in the Europa League this term. In his chat with reporters (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), the patron also noted how the club is currently in a healthy financial situation, so they’re able to resist tempting offers for their most prized assets.

In June, everyone was against me because I appointed Baroni and signed unknown players. Now I’ve had offers worth more than €50 million for some players and I have not sold anyone – on the contrary, I’ve bought players. I do things the way they should be done. I want the club to compete at an international level.

Claudio Lotito Thrilled with His Nicolo Rovella Choice

Lotito was referring to Nicolo Rovella who reportedly attracted interest from Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool. The Biancocelesti owner brags about how his decision to sign the 23-year-old from Juventus proved to be the right call in hindsight while others berated him for failing to buy Torino’s Samuele Ricci.

I was attacked by everyone in the summer (of 2023) when I didn’t sign Ricci. But I took Rovella who is worth 100 times more than Ricci, and I’m not saying this only from a sporting perspective, but also based on his human values. And how about Gustav Isaksen? He has begun to understand that we are fighters and we will do so until the end. It’s up to you on the pitch to believe in it.

The Napoli Contest

While Lazio settled for a 2-2 draw against Napoli on Saturday, Lotito claimed his team would have gone to win the contest as Antonio Conte’s men had run out of steam.

If the match on Sunday had lasted another five minutes, we would have brought home the win. At a certain point, I saw Conte yelling “no, it’s over”. We are here to underline the pride of belonging and an approach to playing football in a different way.