Italian team Lazio to play at Senayan

JAKARTA (JP): Italian top division soccer team Lazio will lock horns with a local all-star team in an exhibition match at Senayan stadium at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Dali Taher, tournament director, told a press conference yesterday that Lazio, currently still in China on an Asian tour, will receive US$180,000 for its one-day appearance here.

Lazio, ranked fourth in the Serie A, is expected to arrive here on Saturday from Hong Kong.

Lazio will include 1993 and 1994 Serie A top scorer Giuseppe Signori, Roberto Rambaudi, Paulo Negro, Argentinian Jose Chamot and Luca Marghegiani, the reserve goalie of the Italian team in the 1994 World Cup.

But the team will be missing Dutchman Aaron Winter, Croatian Alen Boksic and Italians Pierluigi Casiraghi, Diego Fuser and Roberto di Matteo, due to the preparations of their respective national teams for the upcoming 1996 Euro Cup in England, from June 8 to July 1.

President of Lazio Dino Zoff, Italy's national goalie in three World Cup finals in 1978, 1982 and 1986, will be accompanying his team.

The Indonesian players were picked by post card vote. The system was used two weeks ago to choose the best players for the all-star match between the Western and Eastern divisions.

The organizer received 11,455 post cards from soccer fans in the country's 27 provinces to pick and team up the best players.

Tickets are priced between Rp 50,000 (US$22) and Rp 5,000.

Meanwhile, the All-Indonesia Football Association's secretary general, Nugraha Besoes, said that another Italian team, Sampdoria, which is currently still touring Asia and Australia, will also be playing the national all-star team on June 4 in Medan, North Sumatra.

"Sampdoria will arrive in Medan from Perth on June 2," Nugraha said.

The match, which will take place in Teladan Stadium, Medan, will start at 5 p.m. (yan)