Luis Alberto has reiterated his love for Lazio but blasted the club president, Claudio Lotito, shortly after completing his transfer to Al-Duhail. The Serie A underachievers sold their long-serving stalwart to the Qatari outfit a fortnight ago for a reported fee of €10 million.
Despite boasting a household status at the Stadio Olimpico, Alberto grew desperate to cut short his eight-year association with the club toward the end of last season. The 31-year-old was a fan favorite in Rome and one of the Biancocelesti’s best players, but he still decided to force his way out of Serie A.
Alberto might have waited for the dust to settle before breaking the silence on his surprising switch to Qatar. He blamed his strained relationship with Lotito and Maurizio Sarri’s sudden departure for an underwhelming period at the tail-end of his Lazio career.
“We didn’t play as we hoped and, after Sarri’s resignation, the situation got worse,” the former Lazio talisman told AS, as quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport. “I didn’t have a great relationship with Lotito, and obviously, that affected my daily life. Mentally, I struggled to go to training: it was clear that the curtain fell.“
He also explained his decision to leave Europe and link up with Al-Duhail.
“I also received calls from Europe, but the Spanish clubs were not willing to pay the price tag to Lazio. Already a year ago, I was sought by Qatar, and when the deal fell through, I gave my word that, as soon as possible, I would sign for them.“
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