Fiorentina

Official: Fiorentina Sign Zauri

Fiorentina have completed the signing of defender Luciano Zauri from Lazio on loan, with the option to make the deal permanent for €3m.

Jul 18, 2008 6:08:50 PM

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Luciano Zauri - Lazio (Grazia Neri)

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Zauri, who has been at Lazio since arriving from Atalanta in 2003, had been put up for sale by Lazio following a very poor 2007/08 season.

Fiorentina had been in negotiations to sign the 30-year-old, but it had seemed uncertain whether the deal would go through after Viola supporters protested against the transfer, distributing anti-Zauri leaflets around Florence.

Their opposition dates back to a match between the Tuscans and Lazio in 2005 when Zauri used his hand to stop a Martin Jorgensen shot from going in, and the referee failed to spot the offence.

Despite the protests, Fiorentina have still swooped for the left full back, initially signing him on loan, with the option to make the deal permanent for €3m.

Champions League entrants Fiorentina have been making quite a splash in the transfer market this summer, having also captured Gianluca Comotto (Torino), Juan Manuel Vargas (Catania), Felipe Melo (Almeria), Stevan Jovetic (Partizan Belgrade), Jefferson (Parana Clube), Alberto Gilardino and Marco Storari (both Milan).

Anthony Sormani