Saturday, August 31, 2002
Milan finally sign Lazio's Nesta

ROME (Reuters) - AC Milan have signed Italy defender Alessandro Nesta from Serie A rivals Lazio.
The deal, which Lazio said in a statement valued Nesta at 30.2 million euros, ended a period of long and troubled negotiations.

'The squad now is young and strong in all areas,' a Milan statement said, adding that the 26-year-old would sign a contract until June 2007. 'One can feel the excitement.'

Earlier this month, AC Milan said they had decided not to pursue their interest in Nesta because he was too expensive.

Lazio at that time had refused an offer of 26 million euros for the highly-rated centre back and the two clubs ended talks.

Like other Serie A teams, Lazio have fallen victim to the financial crisis engulfing football and there has been transfer speculation about several of their players - including Argentine internationals Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez.

In a statement to Lazio fans the club's President Sergio Cragnotti said Nesta had been sold only due to financial problems.

'The sale of our captain...is a great sacrifice made to help in the financial re-balancing the group is currently undergoing,' Cragnotti said on Lazio's web site.

'He knows that the sacrifice of his sale was done only for these reasons and I thank him on behalf of all Lazio supporters.'

At the end of March Lazio's debt pile stood at 137 million euros.

Nesta, who was plagued by a foot injury at the World Cup, started his career at Lazio.