Lazio president Claudio Lotito spoke openly about the struggles of managing both politics and football, the sale of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and why he decided to buy the club.
The Biancocelesti president is currently hard at work in the summer transfer window, looking to pick up four or five new players to bolster Maurizio Sarri’s squad following the second-place finish and Champions League qualification.
Outside of football, Lotito is a member of the Italian senate, representing Molise as part of the right-wing coalition group.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (via LazioNews24), Lotito first discussed the difficulties of splitting his time between politics and football.
I have a sh*t life, I don’t have one anymore. From August to today I’ve only had two days off, last year I was in Cortina, they called me back, I was campaigning in Molise, I didn’t even know where it was, I stayed there for a month and a half.
Second highest in Italy, at the elections… I no longer live, I sleep three and a half hours a night, in nineteen years I’ve gained 25 kilos. Between 10pm and 2am the body produces glucagon, a protein hormone… I also went to medical school, let me finish.
It is called the slimming hormone, it is very important for sugar metabolism. I’m unhealthy, with the life I lead, 9am to 10.45pm in the Senate. For the first time I saw my wife seriously p*ssed off.
He was asked how much time he had for Lazio.
Little, compared to before, but I am a man of answers, I have the ability to provide concrete, quick and effective solutions. I talk to the coach.
The Biancocelesti president reflected on the recent departure of sporting director Igli Tare.
I didn’t fire him, he left and I was disappointed on a personal, human level. Eighteen years together, a great friend and a company man.
One day he phoned and told me he wanted to leave and that he was grateful for everything I had given him.
Lotito was honest about the disagreements between Tare and coach Maurizio Sarri.
There were misunderstandings between Sarri and Igli, the former fundamentalist, the latter rigid. I had to intervene three times.
The first time I beat the team, then when Sarri was speaking, I clarified a few things, finally I told Igli that he should use Vaseline.
I promised the team I’d pay after every win and in September I had paid for January, four months early. Lazio… they’d given me a month to live as president.
He explained why he initially decided to take over Lazio in 2004.
Berlusconi made me do it. I had known him for thirty-five years, constructions. He was getting on a plane, he phoned me and said: ‘Claudio, they told me you are the only one who can put this dramatic situation right, give me a hand, call Marinella’ (the former secretary, ed.).
Not another word. He hung up and left. It was 19th July 2004, at the time Lazio had a turnover of 84 million a year and cost 86.5 million, they had 550 billion in debt, obviously not mine. I put in 150 billion lire and loaded myself with 1070 billion in debt…
I wouldn’t last more than a month, they said. In the early years I was the joke, today everyone recognises my abilities. I am a man of challenges, me.
I have been with my wife for 30 years, I remember she gave me a cup and said ‘this is for the challenge you won and the next ones you will win’.
When I set my mind to something I do everything possible to succeed. I am also an innovator. Informed by those who know me. I am too modest. Berlusconi was great because he had a vision, I too break down walls.
I introduced time-sharing in football, which is not a second team. The second team is crap, they run on the resources of the first. The second club, on the other hand, guarantees revenue from the territory.
I read that UEFA wants to open up timeshares. I was forced to sell Salernitana for €10 million at 11.55pm on the last day. They took them away from me. I had taken them from the bottom and brought them to Serie A. Other things I introduced.
He spoke about the plans for the summer transfer window.
I have clear ideas, I asked Sarri not to give me names, but positions to cover, his technical-tactical needs. I choose the players.
At Formello there’s a whole sector that deals with scouting with eight dedicated positions. Castellanos arrived, I paid a lot for him.
Now Maurizio is asking me for a centre forward, a defender, not necessarily a left-back, a full back and a mezzala. I have all the names in my head. You make me break off negotiations, raise the price.
The Lazio president explained the sale of Milinkovic-Savic.
I offered him a renewal at high figures. His agent arrived and told me that Arabia guaranteed €20 million a year, €18 net already taxed. The player confessed to me that he was looking for something new.
When they explained to me that there was €15 million for Lazio, I replied that €15 million or zero was the same for me and that I would have given him many laps of the pitch at Formello.
15 became 20, then 30, then 40. Italian football doesn’t lack players, but presidents. There’s a lack of competence at the top.
Finally, Lotito discussed the goal of building a new stadium.
I was going to build one on my land, but Veltroni rejected the project. It could also be reached by boat, the road network was perfect. Who says I’m not working on it today.
This guy is delusional to say at least. No Wonder that we struggle so much with buying other players