Lazio president Claudio Lotito reflected on the deal for Mateo Guendouzi and spoke about the tickets for the upcoming Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
The Biancocelesti pulled off an impressive upset in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie with Bayern, edging out a 1-0 win after a second-half penalty from Ciro Immobile. The result gives the club a good hope of progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Lazio bounced back from their brief dip in form with a key win over Torino on the weekend, giving them a slight boost ahead of their trip to Fiorentina. Maurizio Sarri’s side will then face Milan on 1st March before playing out the second leg with Bayern on 5th March.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Lotito first discussed the deal with Olympique Marseille for Guendouzi.
I don’t like talking about individuals, because Guendouzi cannot win matches alone. But I signed him in person. The Marseille directors came to my house in Cortina to negotiate. He not only has significant technical skills, but he is willing to work for the team. He has passion.
He likes to stand out but puts himself at the service of others. He is proving to be a humble boy. I have always said that to achieve certain results you need to be united, compact, determined and have competitive ferocity. Guendouzi embodies these qualities.
He was asked about the tickets for the upcoming Champions League clash between Bayern and Lazio.
Being at home they have the decision-making power. We pointed out that the 3200 tickets they had initially made available to us had evaporated and that our fans were dissatisfied. They could concede more, but playing at home they dictate the law.
Of course, common sense must always prevail. The problem is that they obviously protect their season ticket holders and aim to bring their people to the stadium. Especially because the game is delicate.
Finally, Lotito discussed Lazio’s new stadium project, which is currently focused on the Stadio Flaminio.
The project for the stadium must be clear and well structured. I asked a very important architecture firm to follow the matter because we can’t do anything wrong. Over time, Juve realized that they probably should have built a bigger stadium.
We have around 32,000 season ticket holders and therefore we cannot go below 48-50,000 seats. Rutelli, when he was mayor, proposed the demolition of the Flaminio. Experts will decide whether that is necessary.
However, Lazio need a facility for around 50,000 fans, which is covered and has space for parking. If it were possible to renovate the Flaminio great, otherwise Rome has such a cultural and artistic heritage for which safeguarding the stadium doesn’t seem fundamental to me.
