Diaconale: “Our objectives? Champions League qualification and the Coppa Italia…”

Arturo Diaconale, the head of communications at Lazio, spoke on Radio Incontro Olympia this morning.

Being fed up now with the criticism of Lazio is premature. We must prepare for a couple of weeks of press campaigns against us.

Diaconale then spoke of the penalty controversy in the Sassuolo game, as well as the media’s coverage of Lazio’s upcoming visit to the San Siro:

“Lazio have not only the game on Saturday against Milan, but also their next one in the Coppa Italia. It seems clear to me that the national media intend to favour the team from Milan over the team from the capital. It’s part of a media game that we know very well. On that penalty, it would be enough to apply the rules to know that the arm extended after touching another part of the body is not automatically involuntary. That penalty is therefore justified.”

Next, Diaconale discussed Lazio’s goals in the Coppa Italia as they also look forward to Champions League qualification:

“We’ll be speaking on the Lazio website and on the radio, but we have to be aware that in the Champions League and the Coppa Italia we’ve reached a point where interests are important with regard to who enters and who doesn’t. We will always be fair, clean and transparent. We want both to go to the Champions League and win the Coppa Italia, because they represent two important goals for the team. Nobody gives up anything, let’s be clear. We must be aware, however, that there will be a lot of obstacles ahead of us and they will come from all over the world.”

In the early afternoon, Arturo Diaconale also spoke to Lazio Style Radio 89.3. The current situation of Lazio, the words on the media and the path from here to the end of the season were the subject of his reflection.

On the media:

This week starts a fundamental cycle because we will go twice to Milan to play Milan in a few days, and we are a little worried and outraged about what we have read in the media. According to them Lazio would have been privileged for the penalty awarded by Abisso, but the penalty is there and Rizzoli also said so. Many media have interests related to the territory: in the North they want to put Lazio in a bad light ahead of the upcoming games against the Rossoneri.

On VAR:

To say that Lazio is a favourite is absurd. We could give a thousand examples of the penalties that we have suffered in these two seasons with VAR. For example, the penalty in the SPAL game is bizarre, you’ve never seen a penalty with an opponent who says he simulated. The team must be heard to denounce this mediatic attitude that risks distorting the championship. Leonardo is right to ask for respect, but respect must concern everyone, including the media. Here in Rome we have a press unfortunately conditioned by the presence of the other team, and this creates greater difficulties for us than we would otherwise have.

On Lazio’s current situation:

After the victory of Milan against Inter there was the mistaken impression that Lazio was already projected towards the top of the standings. In one week everything was overturned. The championship is long and unforeseen events can happen at any time and to the detriment of any top team. All but Juventus have fewer points than expected. Lazio can play to the end, nothing has been decided.

Tags Arturo Diaconale Coppa Italia Laziali Lazio Milan UEFA Champions League