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)