In recent decades, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has been one of the most outspoken men in Italian football.
While the Biancocelesti patron is often credited for salvaging the capital club amidst its financial crisis almost 20 years ago, he still showed sympathy for Juventus and their resigned-president during their darkest hour.
With the majority of pundits taking swipes at the Bianconeri, Lotito emerges as an unlikely defender, saying that Italian football owes the Turin-based club a great deal.
“Today, everyone speaks ill of Juventus, but it’s one of those clubs that has contributed to the livelihood of our world,” said the Lazio owner after receiving the Colalucci prize as reported by ilBianconero.
“Many have drank from there, and it can’t represent all the evil in Italian football, but I won’t discuss the investigation which only belongs to the prosecutor’s office.
“I saw Andrea Agnelli in the Senate and I embraced him. He gave me the wrong impression from a human point of view.”
Lotito also discussed the speculations surrounding the future of his club’s most prized asset, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The player’s current contract will expire in 2024 leaving his future up in the air, but the Lazio president insists that his club is still hoping to extend the deal of the longtime Juventus transfer target.
“From a technical point of view, Lazio have an interest in renewing Sergej’s contract because he is a great player, a player on whom the club is betting.”
