Lazio President Claudio Lotito insists wantaway Luis Alberto ‘is not up for sale’ and that Felipe Anderson only left for ‘family reasons.’
The Coppa Italia semi-final kicked off at the Stadio Olimpico at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
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The Bianconeri won the first leg 2-0 on April 2 with goals from Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic, so the Aquile need to win by two clear goals to force extra time, three to qualify directly for the Final against either Atalanta or Fiorentina.
“At this moment, the team is starting to absorb the new mentality set out by the coach. I hope they can maintain the same form they showed in the last two games, with team spirit, determination and climbing out of a position in the table that does not reflect their potential,” Lotito told Sport Mediaset.
Ciro Immobile is still not 100 per cent fit and Daichi Kamada is not even on the bench due to a muscular issue, so Lazio need Taty Castellanos to start delivering goals.
“We signed him because he has a lot of quality. He hasn’t been able to score as much as he did last season, but as soon as he gains self-belief, he will do very well here too.”
Lazio were in the Champions League this season and reached the Round of 16, going out to Bayern Munich, but next term look as if the Europa League will be the maximum.
Lotito slams door on Luis Alberto
It is also the end of an era, with Felipe Anderson already signing for Palmeiras as a free agent, while Immobile is expected to leave and Luis Alberto famously asked live on television to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
“Felipe Anderson made a lifestyle decision for his family, signing a contract for a lower salary than the one we had offered him,” replied Lotito.
“Luis Alberto has another four years on his contract. He made that comment, but we did not put him up for sale. In his last match, he showed love for the club and quality, we trust he will continue this path as a protagonist.”