The time to say goodbye has arrived. Luis Alberto is ready to fly to Qatar to undergo medical visits with Al-Duhail. He ends his history with Lazio after eight seasons. Yesterday afternoon, the final details set by his entourage with the Qatari club. From Spain, where he is on holiday, the playmaker will move to Qatar at the beginning of the week: medical visits before moving on to signing agreements already defined. Luis Alberto will have a salary of 8 million euros per season for 3 years from Al-Duhail. Lazio, who had him under contract until 2028, will receive 12 million with some bonuses (25% of the resale to Liverpool).
THE GOODBYE
—
“Next year I won’t be part of the project. I asked the club to leave. I won’t take a single euro from Lazio…”, so on 12 April, at the end of the home match against Salernitana, Luis Alberto announced the his departure. Bypassing everyone, starting with the Biancoceleste club with which last September he had renewed his contract expiring in 2025. Many other times he had expressed the desire to be sold, perhaps to return to playing with Sevilla. Everything was then promptly put back together. But now the story is over. Between tiredness and the desire to leave each other. At the end credits eight seasons embellished by the Magician’s plays, but also burdened by conflicts and controversies with no holds barred. He arrived in the summer of 2016 from Liverpool after a year on loan at Deportivo La Coruna. Lots of settling-in difficulties in the first year. Going as far as the decision to stop playing to become a painter. Director Igli Tare made him desist. He had resumed his shots in training and in his office he said to him: “And would someone who plays like that want to leave football?”. He listened to him and began to shine in Simone Inzaghi’s team. First from Immobile’s shoulder and then in midfield. With Lazio 307 games and 52 goals (including the one that started the success in the 2019 Super Cup against Sarri’s Juventus) which are almost all true pearls. An often added value for Lazio.
problems
—
Genius with the ball but also the recklessness of a character that is difficult to manage not only due to the substitutions he never digested. With Sarri he seemed to have found a new dimension after a complicated approach (in the first summer training camp he showed up 5 days late…). A year ago he seemed to be able to become the leader of Lazio as they headed towards second place in the standings and a return to the Champions League. The renewal of the contract at 4 million per season (now he will get double that) for another five years as a pact to move forward together. In the season just ended, his discontinuity resurfaced. With Tudor the relationship crumbled completely. Excluded from the squad for the match against Empoli on 12 May due to a commitment not considered up to par in training. He ended in tears on the bench against Sassuolo, hoping for a final performance at the Olimpico which was denied to him by Tudor. Now it’s already in the memories. Lazio have been thinking about replacing him for months. Scrutinizing Colpani of Monza or Stengs of Feyenoord, but complicated goals. Meanwhile, negotiations for Dele-Bashiru from Hatayspor continue.
