Ruben Sosa spent four seasons with Lazio, where the Uruguay international made 140 appearances for the Biancocelesti. The 54-year-old spoke about his time with the Italian side with Corriere dello Sport.
During Sosa’s time with Lazio, the club was attentive to its financial accounts and budget. Furthermore, having come up from the second division, they had few economic resources, which was a disadvantage considering the strength of Italian sides during that time.
Nonetheless, Sosa won the hearts of supporters during his four years with the Biancocelesti. Despite winning trophies, having won the Lazio fans’ love is still something that Sosa puts ahead of the trophies that he won during his playing career.
Sometimes they ask me what I have won in my career. And even before the cups or trophies raised elsewhere, I like to answer that one of my best successes is the Lazio fans’ love. Even today at the stadium, my name is remembered as a source of great pride. I think I left a significant mark on Lazio.
Furthermore, the Uruguay international touched on the memories he made during his time with Lazio.
I have very good memories of Rome and Lazio. We were a team that initially struggled to stay in Serie A. We played in the strongest and most competitive league in the world at that time. There was Maradona, Gullit, Van Basten, Matthaus, Mancini, Vialli, yet we managed to have our say.
The best memory is linked to the Flaminio Stadium. We played for a year in that stadium, small and full of passion, with the fans attached to us. Beautiful matches, now and then, I see those videos, those goals, and I still get excited. The fans went crazy for goals. It was beautiful.
Sosa finally spoke about his departure from Lazio and heading to Inter Milan in 1992 and explained how difficult it was to play his former club the following season.
The previous year I did everything to renew my contract with Lazio, but President Calleri disagreed. He told me to start the new season and then decide what to do at the end of the year. The idea of giving me away had already been taken.
Leaving Rome and Lazio was not easy. Also, because I was going to Inter as a fifth foreigner: Pancev, Sammer, Shalimov were already there. In the end, however, I managed to carve out a nice space there too.
The strangest and most challenging thing was facing Lazio as an opponent. The first time, I went to the locker room to visit my former teammates and wished everyone good luck. Getting on the pitch and finding myself as their opponent was very strange. A heart attack.
I was and am very attached to Lazio, as well as at Inter. They are the two teams that have remained in my heart. Lazio took me as a kid and made me a great player. Inter allowed me to play in a very strong team. I will always be grateful to them both.
