ALMEYDA DOES NOT REGRET LAZIO EXIT
MATIAS ALMEYDA has insisted that he was right to leave Lazio, despite Parma`s turbulent start to the campaign.
Almeyda has seen three managers leave the Ennio Tardini since making the move from Rome in the summer of 2000, but he is happy with his form at Parma.
The 30-year-old Argentine international, who recently announced his retirement date from football, has no regrets at leaving Lazio, insisting he has more chance of playing regular football with Parma.
Speaking to planetfootball.com, Almeyda said: "At the end, with Lazio, I didn't play.
"When you begin playing football, you want to play all the time. Then you grow up, appreciate other things. In other words, you have to move when you are offered a lot of money and the opportunity to play every Sunday."
Almeyda insists he has no problem with former Lazio coach and now England manager, Sven Goran Eriksson.
"He told me that I would be the main player, but if you look at the games I didn`t play much. But, he is the coach and he makes the decisions.
"I have nothing against him, he is a serious person but also a very kind one."
Almeyda revealed that he would have loved the chance to play for Internazionale or Juventus.
"Who would not want to lay for teams like them? They have big stadiums, great fans and so on, but it was only ever talk."
Almeyda`s no-nonsense style of play has seen him compared to Juventus` Edgar Davids, and he admitted that their is a likeness but claims he is more defensive than the Dutchman.
"Davids is more attacking than I am," asserted Almeyda. "Anyway, we are old fashioned players. Today, nobody wants to compete, they do not want to take kicks, to fight. Everybody wants to the fantasy man, the striker.
"We love to fight, we have these kind of characteristics and we use them to help the team."
He does not want to take on the role of an attacker, adding: "I love what I do, and I am convinced that each person should do the job that suits them best. Veron (Manchester United`s Juan Sebastian) could not play the role that I do, and I could not fill his role."
Speaking about the turmoil at Parma, who lost coach Renzo Ulivieri earlier in the week, he said: "With Malsesni (Alberto) we scored incredible goals, from free-kicks, from corners, from everywhere. Then Sacchi ( Arrigo) arrived. He saw little things on the training ground that needed improving, and it showed why we conceded stupid goals under Malesani.
"Then Ulivieri (Renzo) arrived. The right man, a wonderful person, but this season we started badly. Some started to question the talents of the team, some players were injured and this sometimes happens in football."
Speaking about the rest of the season, Almeyda added: "I will continue to fight, for me nothing changes. The fight is what matters in my life."
