LAZIO IN VERON DILEMMA
The declaration follows a £30 million offer from Real Madrid and the recent outburst by the player himself, who revealed how his pending passport court case was affecting his game and making him unhappy in Rome.
The Argentine has been a revelation in Rome. Since Veron's arrival last year, Lazio have won the League Cup, the Italian Supercup and most importantly the Scudetto, a trophy that was missing from the club for 28 years. His presence on the pitch and his delightful touch have made him one of Lazio's most influential players. Such is the greatness of Lazio's number 23 that when he plays well the whole team plays well, if he's down the side suffers.
Despite having missed most games at the beginning of the season due to a persistent shin injury, Veron has still been prominent in Lazio's campaign in 2000-01, leading the Biancocelesti to fight for the title for the third year running.
With Diego Simeone and Dino Baggio covering his back, Veron has acquired greater freedom. Such lack of restrictions have made the Argentine the most sought after player in his side, and it is not surprising that so far, his successful touches have mounted to a mammoth 1,306 - more than any other Lazio player.
The Argentine, omnipresent on the pitch, has skilfully alternated between firm defensive tackles and exquisite inspirational passes. Hernan Crespo and his attacking partners have in fact benefited from three assists and 34 defence-splitting passes - the most in the side.
Although Lazio's midfield is amongst the strongest in Europe, boasting players of the likes of Simeone, Baggio, Dejan Stankovic and emerging Roberto Baronio, the absence of Veron will still not be an easy void to fill.
The ex-Parma and Sampdoria player has not only shown great ability in pulling the strings in midfield, but has also been a constant threat to the opposition defences.
So far this season, Veron has hit the target from a distance on 25 occasions, second only to Pavel Nedved with 37. Furthermore, he has curled in 99 crosses and he has embarked on 104 dribbles and runs, more than specialists such as Hernan Crespo and Karel Poborsky.
Overall, Veron has proved to be invaluable to Lazio and his services, even part-time, have been essential in keeping the Biancocelesti amongst the best teams in the country for three years running. But will that be enough for Cragnotti to reconsider his market strategy?
