The face of the new Lerici Sport is starting to emerge, which next season will hunt for the coveted promotion to Serie A2, led by the confirmed coach Andrea Sellaroli. After the first addition, midfielder Elio Menicocci, the arrival of defender Alberto Ottazzi was announced, fresh from his adventure with the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara: “I have always experienced Lerici as an opponent and now I arrive as a player – he said – The coach explained the club’s plan and its wishes to me: I found a company that wants to do things, stimulating and with continuity.” The Coccodrilli’s new entry arrives after four years with the Tuscan team, coached by two former rossoblù glories, Simone Scopsi and Zarko Zaric, an adventure that ended with relegation to Serie B. Genovese, Alberto lives in Nervi and is a production engineer at the Lanterna headquarters of Asg Superconductors. Together with water polo, this is one of the two great passions of his life (he also worked for four years in Fincantieri).
“I got up to A1 with Nervi, where I also played in the youth team, after starting with Andrea Doria – he continues -, and I played in the top flight for four years, then I had to leave that level because there was no was compatible with university studies, it was unsustainable. However, we continued with less demanding championships: again Andrea Doria, Carrara, Sori, Metanopoli, Chiavari, B clubs with which in some cases we achieved promotion”. Born in 1990, he knows the La Spezia water polo scene well: “Lerici in particular, ever since the coach was Carlo Foti; this year I will play my 25th championship and I have many athletes in mind, some of whom I have also played with, like Dainese: Virdis, Telara, Di Donna, among others, are nothing new.”
Ottazzi is very clear about his future role: “I start from what I think I will bring: continuity and order; I was born as a defender, I am shaped by this. My role is to calm tensions, but also to sacrifice myself for the team, as well as ensuring good communication in the group. I will help Lerici to move up, I am happy and aware of starting next season with this idea, inserting myself into a job that the club has been carrying out for many years: grafts on a base that has been looked after for a long time”.
Meanwhile, president Sammartano’s club has announced that the Argentine midfielder Tomàs Echenique, currently involved in a tournament in Puerto Rico, will no longer be part of the squad next season: “Thank you for your seriousness and professionalism, we wish you a great success good luck for the future” are the words dedicated to the player on the rossoblù social networks.
Chiara Tenca
