Lazio could finally play the friendly they have owed the Blues for nine years as part of the Blues' preparations for 2012/13. Two games were agreed with the Serie A side when keeper Matteo Sereni joined the Rome club in July 2003 with the first taking place in 2006 when the Italians ran out 2-0 winners.
Chief executive Simon Clegg told TWTD that having contacted Lazio on a number of occasions over the last couple of seasons to try to get them to honour the agreement, he eventually took the matter to the football authorities: "I spoke to the FA, who spoke to the Italian Football Federation, who spoke to Lazio, who confirmed that they owe us an outstanding game and I have offered them a couple of dates this summer.
"I’ve given them a couple of options and the ball is in their court. It could well happen this year.”
The Biancocelesti, who under the arrangement made in 2003 will have to cover all their expenses relating to the game, initially proved difficult to pin down when it came to playing the first match.
In 2005 Clegg’s predecessor Derek Bowden wrote to the FA to seek compensation from the Italian club in line with the potential earnings from a pre-season friendly before they eventually agreed to the 2006 date.
Town, who bought Sereni from Sampdoria for £4.8 million in the summer of 2001, also agreed a 50% sell-on clause when he moved to Lazio but the keeper, now 37, moved on to Torino on a free transfer in the summer of 2007. Sereni is currently without a club having left Brescia, where he had previously spent a season on loan while he was a Blues player, last summer.
Clegg says the Blues are close to announcing this summer’s friendlies in Holland: "We are just trying to finalise everything at the moment, particularly the games programme, but I’m hoping to announce that probably next week.”
Photo: Action Images