David Silva’s transfer to Laliga Santander aide, Real Sociedad , has left the hierarchy of Serie A side , SS Lazio feeling tricked and heartbroken, with Sporting Director Igli Tare the most flabbergasted.
Lazio had thought they were tops in the race to sign 34-year old Silva as the attacking midfielder’s days at Manchester City counted down to last Saturday when he played his last game for the Pep Guardiola’s team in their Champions League quarterfinal ousting by Lyon, but Sociedad succeeded with their shrewdly plotted hijack.
In the very twilight of his career, Silva saw off his contract with City, ending an illustrious 10-year career with the Premier League side, and was available to the highest bidder.
Lazio and the playmaker’s former Laliga club, Valencia , were the most reported interested clubs, but the the Italians’ move was awash in the media. It was also reported that the Simone Inzaghi’s team had agreed deal with Silva pending medical and formal contract signing.
La Real, Sociedad, came out on Monday, like a bolt out of the blues, to announced their new signing, Silva. The Spain international penned a two-year deal.
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A bemused Lazio Sporting Director, Tare, issued a bizzare and scathing statement about Silva on the club’s website on Tuesday, clearly underscoring both his frustration and the disappointment of the club.
“I learn about David
Silva’s transfer to Real Sociedad. I have great respect for the player, but not for the man,” reads Tare’s tart statement, without the detail of the club’s negotiations with the new Real Sociedad man.
Meanwhile, Silva’s father, Fernando Silva, also on Tuesday responded to the Lazio chief’s outburst , insisting that his son never engaged in any direct conversation with any official of the Italian club, and that no deal was agreed.
“Everyone can say what they want, Lazio spoke with their representative, not with David, so I don’t understand why they name him as a person,” Fernando Silva told Radio Marca.
“He did not have a close commitment with Lazio and there are other teams like Real that have also spoken with him.”
