| Claudio Lotito | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1957 Rome, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse | Cristina Mezzaroma |
Claudio Lotito (born May 9, 1957 in Rome) is an Italian entrepreneur. He is the owner and president of the Serie A football club S.S. Lazio since 2004.
In the summer of 2009, a dispute between Lotito and S.S. Lazio forward Goran Pandev erupted, resulting in a legal battle between Lazio and the striker. The ruling was announced on December 23, 2009, when Lotito said "Pagare moneta vedere cammello".
The dispute started with Pandev indicating his desire to leave Lazio during the summer of 2009. Club president Lotito, apparently unhappy with Pandev's decision, froze him out of the squad. As a result, Pandev spent the remaining four months training on his own, without making a single appearance for his club. During this period, various clubs had indicated their interest in buying Pandev, most notably FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, who made an offer of 13 million euros for the player. Lazio president Lotito rejected the offer, demanding 15 million euros instead. The deal eventually fell through after both parties failed to come to an agreement on price.[9]
On 26 September, Pandev officially filed for a termination of his contract with Lazio, having been frozen out of the squad and labelled a 'rebel' by the club. Pandev argued that by freezing him out of the squad, Lazio had violated the terms of their contract with him. On 23 December 2009, Lega Calcio ruled in Pandev's favor, ordering Lazio to release Pandev from his contract and pay him 170,000 euros for emotional distress. Lotito indicated his desire to appeal the decision.
Lotito was banned from football for two and a half years in 2006 for his part in the 2006 Italian football scandal.