Lazio Trying to Sign 35-Year-Old Free Agent Amidst Major Goalkeeper Crisis

Lazio Trying to Sign 35-Year-Old Free Agent Amidst Major Goalkeeper Crisis

Lazio are hoping to add Alessandro Berardi to their depleted goalkeeping department, but they’re facing bureaucratic hurdles.

Lazio Lose Alessio Furlanetto to Injury

Maurizio Sarri had already lost the services of his ultimate No.1, Ivan Provedel, until the end of the season due to a shoulder injury. Moreover, the third choice custodian, Alessio Furlanetto, has now been ruled out of action with a torn ACL, leaving Edoardo Motta as the only available first-team option.

Lazio Planning to Bring Back Alessandro Berardi

According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, the club has decided to address this state of emergency by bringing Berardi back to Formello. The 35-year-old is a Lazio youth product who never made an appearance for the first team. After loan spells at Hellas Verona, Salernitana, and Grosseto, he joined Messina in 2015, and then had an experience at Bari.

Berardi then spent seven years at Hellas Verona, but only made three appearances. He left the Rossoblu last summer and has been a free agent ever since.

Lazio Need Special Exemption to Sign Berardi

As the source explains, Italian clubs aren’t allowed to sign free agents after March 31. Therefore, Lazio will request an exemption from Lega Serie A, citing the state of emergency. However, the club officials aren’t too optimistic on this front, so they might have to resort to an internal solution.

Sarri already temporarily promoted 17-year-old Giacomo Giacomone to the senior squad following Provedel’s injury. The teenager has been on the bench in the last five Serie A fixtures. But if Lazio fail to replace Furlanetto with Berardi, the manager will have to call up another Primavera youngster to shore up the three-man contingent.