Lazio president Claudio Lotito penned a long letter to the fans, reflecting on the 2022-23 season and looking ahead to the upcoming campaign.
It was an interesting season for Maurizio Sarri and his squad, who finally found consistency and defensive solidity across the campaign, integrating new signings like Alessio Romagnoli and Ivan Provedel well.
Known entities like Mattia Zaccagni, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson all stood out across the season for Lazio and played a crucial role in the team’s qualification to the Champions League, a vital goal in progressing Sarri’s project in the capital.
One area where the Biancocelesti did disappoint this season was on the European front, looking out of shape in both the Europa League and the Conference League. Sarri is hoping for the arrival of four or five reinforcements this summer to allow the team to compete in Serie A and the Champions League.
Writing a letter for the Lazio Style Magazine (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Lotito reflected on the season and looked ahead to the future.
Dear Biancocelesti fans, we have reached the end of a season that I have no difficulty in describing as extraordinary and that has deservedly led us to participation in the next Champions League.
At the end of a season full of exciting performances and great victories, the team finished second, after Napoli, the Italian champions, a fully deserved position, which we reached with a very strong determination and with all our strengths, through a great teamwork of players, staff and managers and with the full merit of the technical guidance of Maurizio Sarri.
A Lazio that touches the heights, just like our eagle, symbol of Imperial Rome. As always forgotten by the great pundits at the beginning of the year, those of easy bets and discounted tables, Lazio have unquestionably placed themselves among the ‘top teams’, thanks to a season always played with their heads held high.
During the course of the season, the team managed to ‘line up’ at least once all the top teams, who could count on greater starting budgets than ours.
The victory against Inter at the start of the season, the great win in Bergamo, the triumph at home against Milan, the heartfelt victory in Rome against Juventus, the solid performance against Napoli, launched towards the title… and obviously the two derbies won that sanctioned supremacy in the capital, with indisputable affirmations in the game and in the result.
This Lazio knows how to excite, and the challenge has only just begun. Now we must remain among the top teams, prove that this project has started. The strengthening of the squad has borne fruit and will continue without uncertainty. The same can be said of the corporate one, with the aim of structuring all Lazio’s sectors in a European dimension.
The youth sector is returning to the expected level: the Primavera team, deservedly promoted to the top division, will play the prestigious Youth League as a result of the first team’s placement in the Champions League.
In recent months Lazio has not failed to pay attention to social initiatives, in line with its values: not least, the one for bone marrow donors in the name of the unforgettable Sinisa Mihajlovic.
We have celebrated many anniversaries together, like one big family: on 26th May, for example, 10 years after the most important Coppa Italia, an Olimpico full of love and generations of Lazio players greeted the heroes of the recent past and celebrated the most present player in the history of Biancocelesti, our Stefan Radu, in a ceremony that was emotional for everyone.
So, we project ourselves immediately into next season, with courage and confidence. It will be a great year, still under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri. We opened the season ticket campaign ‘Essere Laziali’ yesterday and we hope to see a lot of enthusiasm from you. I would like to see you alongside the team right from the Auronzo training camp.
We’ll always play to win, we’ll fight for the top positions. And, above all, we will play for the Champions League, Lazio fans.
Happy summer to you all.
