Lazio wants Tenerife's Pizzi to replace Boksic
Lazio wants Tenerife's Pizzi to replace Boksic
JAKARTA (JP): Lazio wants to sign Tenerife's Juan Pizzi to
replace Croatian Alen Boksic, who is heading for European-
champion Juventus next season, Lazio's president Dino Zoff said
on Saturday.
Zoff, who captained the Italian World Cup team in 1982, said
after arriving in Indonesia on Saturday that the Spanish league
top scorer will one of three new foreign signings. Lazio is now
bidding for its first Italian championship title and a better
performance in the European competition.
"Negotiations are underway, and we expect to complete the deal
with two defenders. As for Pizzi, we have yet to talk with each
other in detail," Zoff said.
If Pizzi agrees to play for Lazio, Italians will witness a
rare combination of Europe's best goal scoring machines play for
Lazio next season. The club from Rome owns Giuseppe Signori, who
shared the top goal scorers honor with Igor Protti of Bari with
24 goals. Pizzi led Spanish scorers with 30 goals.
Zoff said Lazio would not re-sign Argentinean Jose Chamot and
Dutchman Aron Winter, as well as Boksic. The three players did
not accompany Lazio to Indonesia due to national team
commitments.
Boksic is replacing Gianluca Vialli at Juventus, who has
confirmed his move to England's Chelsea.
Zoff did not name the substitutes for Winter and Chamot, but
reports say that South African Mark Fish and Belgian defender
Paul Okon will join Lazio. Fish will be the first South African
to play in the Italian serie A.
"We always try to get the best foreign players at any cost. We
find the players first before talking about money," Zoff said. He
refused to disclose his recruitment budget.
Lazio, under Czech manager Zdenek Zeman, finished third behind
AC Milan and Juventus in the just-concluded Italian season.
"We have just finished a comfortable season and now we look
ahead to the championship title. We are still one of Italia's
best teams after all," Zoff said.
With AC Milan and Juventus playing in the Champions Cup league
and Fiorentina in the Winners Cup, Lazio will be Italy's best
hopes in the UEFA Cup. AS Roma, Inter Milan and Parma will join
them. Lazio crashed out of the UEFA Cup second-round last season
following its 1-4 defeat to Lyon of France. (16)