In recent decades, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has been one of the most outspoken men in Italian football.
While the Biancocelesti’s sponsor is often credited with saving the capital club in the midst of its financial crisis nearly 20 years ago, it still showed sympathy for Juventus and its resigned president during its darkest hour.
With most pundits attacking the Bianconeri, Lotito emerges as an unlikely defender and says Italian soccer owes a lot to the Turin-based club.
“Today everyone speaks ill of Juventus, but it is one of those clubs that has contributed to the livelihood of our world,” the Lazio owner said after receiving the Colalucci award as reported by ilBianconero.
“Many have drunk from there, and it cannot represent all the evil of Italian football, but I am not going to talk about the investigation that only belongs to the prosecution.
“I saw Andrea Agnelli in the Senate and I hugged him. He gave me the wrong impression from a human point of view.
Lotito also discussed speculation about the future of his club’s most prized asset, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The player’s current contract is set to expire in 2024, leaving his future up in the air, but the Lazio president insists his club is still hoping to extend the deal of long-time Juventus transfer target.
“From a technical point of view, Lazio is interested in renewing Sergej’s contract because he is a great player, a player the club is committed to.”
