Alessio Romagnoli joins Al-Sadd as Lazio exit ends nine-month saga | OneFootball

Al-Sadd have confirmed the signing of Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli, finalising the move just before Qatar’s Thursday deadline and drawing a line under a nine-month saga.

The 32-year-old, a lifelong Lazio supporter, arrived in summer 2022 on a free from AC Milan and had hoped to finish his career in Rome, but a strained relationship with Claudio Lotito and the hierarchy made that unlikely, according to The Laziali.

He tried to complete a switch to Al-Sadd in January, only for the deal to collapse on deadline day. In June, Lazio accepted a €3 million fee, but unrest in the Middle East delayed completion.

The move was finalised in time and the club unveiled him in an Instagram video. In it, Romagnoli called himself a fighter and leader, said football had now taken him to Doha, and described this as a new chapter with a new shirt.

Romagnoli departs after four years at Lazio, making 161 appearances in all competitions with eight goals and two assists. He was not club captain but was widely viewed as the defence’s de facto leader, leaving Oliver Provstgaard, Josip Sutalo and Danilho Doekhi to fill the void.

Source: The Laziali

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