Lotito nails himself to a cross: 'Bielsa always wanted to stay in five-star hotels'
“He lives in the endless pampas, but there are rules, regulations here,” he told La Repubblica.
“I was wrong. They told me to make the fans dream, to bring some enthusiasm. But Claudio Lotito doesn't sell dreams, he sells cold, hard facts. Simone Inzaghi was the first choice, I went with Bielsa to make the fans happy.
“He's nicknamed El Loco, but I'm even crazier. I was fooled. I wanted to be the dreamer.. but now I'll turn into Macchiavelli.
“There were a thousand clauses: Bielsa wanted to be paid in dollars, with me having to make up for the fluctuations in the exchange rate. First class tickets to Argentina for five people, his staff and he, as well as five mobiles. 'Claudio, I spend 2-3 hours a day calling Argentina', so he wanted unlimited minutes. I accepted.
"Five-star hotel, always. I said: 'Marcelo, when you came to Rome I put you in a hotel I own, it was a Four Star Superior. Did you like it? A lot!' 'Then what do you need five stars for?'. He got obdurate, so I accepted that too. He also wanted German free-kick frames, which cost three times as much as the Italian ones.
“He would call my son – who is 19- from Argentina, and ask how I was. I thought he was a nice guy, but he was working an angle”.
Lotito also fired back at Francesco Totti, caught laughing at Lazio with a fan in a viral video.
“Roma don't have either the money or a organisation, you'll see.
“Sabatini called Bielsa and told him not to come, telling him I was untrustworthy. Veron did the same”.
@EdoDalmonte
