López sees the light

By Svend Frandsen

After two disappointing seasons in Serie A, S.S. Lazio striker Claudio López is finally beginning to justify his €30.6m price tag.

Champions League contribution
That is how much former Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti paid for the Argentinian international in summer 2000 after López's impressive form for UEFA Champions League finalists Valencia CF had prompted the Romans to bid for his services. López scored five times for Valencia en route to the 2000 final against Real Madrid CF - including the final goal in a memorable 5-2 home defeat of his current employers in the quarter-finals.

'El Piojo'
In all, "El Piojo" (the "Little Mite") struck 47 goals in 130 matches for the club he had joined from Racing Club de Avellaneda. However, López failed to get anywhere near that strike rate as he struggled to make an impact at the Stadio Olimpico.

Lost on the left
Fighting for a first-team place with compatriot Hernán Crespo and Simone Inzaghi, he found himself moved out to the left wing. Then, just as he appeared to have regained his touch with a Champions League hat-trick against FC Shakhtar Donetsk, López suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out for four months and he subsequently ended the season without scoring a single goal in 16 league matches.

Further disappointment
Things improved little the following season. The signing of Yugoslavian international Darko Kovacevic increased the competition for striking places, and the arrival of former Valencia colleague Gaizka Mendieta and Stefano Fiore failed to compensate adequately for the departure of Pavel Nedved and Juan Sebastián Verón. Missing a playmaker, Lazio's attack suffered in a season marked by two derby defeats by AS Roma and mounting financial problems, and which ended with a sixth-placed finish.

Optimistic outlook
With Lazio put up for sale over the summer and knee-deep in debt, the future looked gloomy for the Biancocelesti. However, López retained an optimistic outlook as the new season approached. "I think this will be the year for me in Italy," he said. "Even if I don't count on scoring a lot of goals I can still prove of high value to the side.

First-choice striker
López's prescience matched his skills on the pitch in a season where Lazio's players have overcome the club's off-field problems to challenge at the top of Serie A and reach the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. With Crespo sold to Inter, López has been promoted to first-choice striker and the switch has paid huge dividends: the 28-year-old has found the net nine times and Lazio occupy third spot in Serie A, only one point short of AC Milan and Inter, ahead of the league's resumption this weekend.

Hard work pays off
According to López, his improvement in form is due in large part to the arrival of new coach Roberto Mancini. "We have worked hard on keeping my cool in crucial situations, so I don't get too panicked," he said. "I have learned to relax more and give myself a split-second to find out what I should do instead of just shooting blindly."

Question mark remains
López believes "this is one of the best moments of my career", yet Lazio's money worries ensure a question mark remains. "It's not easy to work under these conditions," said the Argentinian, who, like most of his team-mates, is owed several months' wages by the club. "We have already waited a long time but there's a limit to everything." With Cragnotti gone and the Italian banks having agreed a rescue loan deal for Lazio, the hope is that money is on its way. Lazio could certainly ill-afford to lose another goalscoring Argentinian.