Lazio's sporting director Igli Tare has hit out at David Silva after the Spanish midfielder opted to join Real Sociedad rather than the Italian club.
Silva had been expected to move to Rome when his contract expired after a decade at Manchester City but La Real hijacked the deal at the last moment but offering the 34-year-old the chance to return to LaLiga.
Real Sociedad announced the signing last night after he penned a contract with the Basque club until the end of the 2022 campaign, despite having a three-year offer from Lazio.
"I've heard about David Silva's transfer to Real Sociedad," Tare wrote in a brief statement on Lazio's official website. "I have huge respect for the player but not for the man."
But Silva's father insists his son was openly speaking to both clubs ahead of becoming a free agent:
"There were contacts with Lazio, but also with Real Sociedad and other teams, then my son made the decision to go to Sociedad.
"There was nothing closed, David was surprised by the reaction of the club. Everyone can decide what they want, Lazio talked to his agent, not David.
"So I don’t understand why they bring him up as a man, he didn’t have anything done with Lazio."
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