Lazio-Anderson, the first farewell is heavy but without betrayal: Lotito’s last attempt on Sunday

He landed in the capital in 2013 as a child, he returned as a boy, Felipe greets like a real man.

He mocks Juve and signs with Palmeiras so as not to betray 8 years (in total) of history with his only Italian love: «Out of respect for Lazio and all its people who have always supported me, I inform you that I have not found an agreement for the renewal with the club and therefore I will follow another path next season. I have always demonstrated with facts my professionalism and my commitment towards Lazio, so I assure you that I will continue to dedicate myself until the last day of my contract to honor this shirt. Thanks for everything”. Every birthday is a new beginning. Felipe celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday and expressed his wish for him after the deadline of June 30th with a nocturnal statement. After five secret meetings, on Sunday Lotito made one last attempt at the renewal, going up to 3 million (with bonuses) with the five-year contract (starting from 2023, 4 years plus option for 2028). The president has always considered him a son: “I would never have sold him”, he revealed to us in 2021 upon his return. Since then 142 games in a row. Felipe indispensable for Sarri, but also for Tudor. Multiple goalscorer on Friday (he had not scored a double since 2015) against Salernitana amidst boos from the Olimpico and a Juventus chant. The reason? For months his sister-agent Juliana had an agreement worth 4 million with the Old Lady to drag him under the Mole on a free transfer. In reality she had also dealt with other big names in Spain and the Bundesliga, but then she left the final say to her little brother. For an athlete of Christ, money is not everything (see Arabia rejected last July), in October this thought of his went unnoticed: «I saw many players who went to Europe return to Brazil to wear the shirt of the team that they had left, with desire, with determination, with the dream of playing again. Thanks to what we have learned, we can help many clubs at home and I don’t rule out returning.”

HEART CHOICE

Four clubs came knocking, Palmeiras went further, convinced him and, after having sent a certified e-mail yesterday afternoon (in compliance with art. 18.3 Fifa) with the signed preliminary contract, announced it before midnight: «Bem-vindo ». Heart, not money, Anderson commanded. His wife Lohanne wanted to return with little Helena to Brazil, she will be in Sao Paulo. Yesterday many Biancocelesti fans wished him well and begged him in vain: “Sign and stay with us”, “Renew this contract, but where do you want to go?” and «Pipe don’t leave us», the most popular comments on social media and radio. Tudor had also pressed him, after the hug last Friday and the subsequent praise: «He is super suited to my football, he is a player who has great quality and I don’t need to say it». It’s a serious loss because Felipe can do everything. The full-back, an attacking midfielder, as a “false new player” has returned to solving the goal problem, as he did a year ago: “My idea has always been to deploy him in the attacking midfield and closer to the goal”, specified Igor.

NEXT COMMITMENTS
An option that we could even see again against Genoa on Friday afternoon and against Juve on Tuesday, in the second leg semi-final. It wouldn’t have been ideal for the Brazilian to face that decisive match with the shadows of his future in Turin. Anderson promised Lotito and Tudor that he will try to drag Lazio into Europe (they are now in seventh place) before saying goodbye. The numbers, net of a difficult season for the entire squad, confirm how complicated it will be to do without him: on Friday the Brazilian rose to 5 goals in total (as did Vecino), together with the Uruguayan he is the team’s second scorer behind di Immobile (10, but with 5 penalties in the calculation). This is already a sad memory. Baby Rocco Vata was rejected by Lazio as a substitute. Denials about Croatian full-back Mauro Petkovic, defender of Radnički, reported by Tudor. The next market will be a puzzle. The messenger