On July 19th, 2004, Claudio Lotito took over Lazio and never looked back. So while he’s celebrating his 20th anniversary at the club’s helm, Calcio e Finanza takes a deep dive into the Biancocelesti’s finances from the start of his tenure until this day.
As he often insists on reminding us, the Italian lawyer acquired a club that was on the verge of bankruptcy following the tumultuous Cragnotti era. So from the get-go, Lotito’s main objective was to balance the books and reach settlements with the club’s various creditors (this includes tax authorities). The club’s debts had reached circa €350 million upon his arrival.
Looking back at Claudio Lotito’s Lazio Era
However, thanks to Lotito’s shrewd and calculated approach, Lazio’s finances gradually recovered. As the source explains, the club has registered financial gains in 12 financial years during the president’s reign, while recording losses on eight occasions; most notably during the COVID-19 era. Yet, the overall balance remains positive, thanks to Total Gains of €60 million.
While a large section of Lazio fans chastise Lotito for his lack of spending, the figures reveal that he has thus far splashed a total of €507 million on New Signings, while collecting €373 from Player Sales. The biggest capital gain that the club recorded during the patron’s time at the club came from selling Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Al-Hilal last summer, which generated €39 million.
All in all, the source believes Lotito’s first twenty years at Lazio have been an overall success, with the club adding six trophies to the cabinet (three Coppa Italia and three Italian Super Cups) and qualifying for Europe on 15 occasions. The report also notes how the club president’s influence over Lega Serie A and Italian politics has significantly grown over the years.
