Luis Alberto has bid a painful farewell to Lazio, but without regrets, at least from the Spanish midfielder’s perspective. Speaking with Spanish newspaper AS, the former Biancocelesti midfielder spoke about his move to the Middle East and his departure from the capital:
“It was time to leave,” he stated in a lengthy interview with the newspaper, reflecting on his eight-year experience with the Biancocelesti, during which he scored 52 goals and provided 79 assists.
The 32-year-old has decided to leave Rome, Serie A, and Europe to move to Qatar, where he has signed a contract with Al Duhail. In the interview, he also discussed Euro 2024, including the upcoming match between Italy and Spain in Gelsenkirchen during the second round of the group stage.
Regarding his departure from Lazio, Alberto explained, “It was time to leave. Last summer, I was close to leaving, and this season hasn’t been positive at all. After Sarri’s resignation, everything worsened, and my relationship with the president (Lotito) wasn’t the best. I realized my cycle had ended, and I needed to find a way to leave. It wasn’t the best possible ending because mentally, I struggled to go to training, and the relationship with the president didn’t help at all. The circle had to be closed. I leave behind many friends and much love in what I consider my second home.”
When asked about potential moves to other European clubs, Alberto revealed, “There were calls and interests, but nothing materialized. In Spain, it was almost impossible because no club would have paid to acquire me. Qatar was already an option last season, but the transfer couldn’t be finalized, and I gave them my word that I would go when I could.”
Commenting on comparisons between Barella and Modric, Alberto stated, “No, no. There’s only one Modric. Barella is a good player, but he can’t be compared to Modric. The Croatian’s talent is within reach of very few.”
Regarding Italy’s defence, he observed, “Bastoni has more experience, but it’s true that they’re not Bonucci and Chiellini, that’s obvious. They’re players who can lose concentration at times, and we can take advantage of that. Calafiori likes to bring the ball forward and can make mistakes. I believe de la Fuente will have noticed this like me. We have very intelligent players who can take advantage of these possible oversights.”
