Batistuta turns on Toldo and Lazio

An outraged Gabriel Batistuta has launched an attack on his former 
Fiorentina team-mate Francesco Toldo and the four
Argentinians who play for Lazio.

"Now that I am not in Florence any more, there will be nobody to defend 
the players, and too bad for them," said Batistuta,
in response to criticism from goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, who had 
accused the striker of taking over Fiorentina in the past
two years.

"I do not know why Toldo said such things, but I know that for the past 
ten years I was the symbol for everything and
everybody at Fiorentina."

The Argentina international insisted that his new club are capable of 
winning the Scudetto this season – and immediately won
himself the hero-worship of the fans by sneering at the four compatriots 
who play for title holders and local rivals Lazio.

Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, Diego Simeone, and Claudio Lopez 
will all be doing their best to prevent Batistuta
from achieving his Scudetto dream, but Batigol's experience – and his 
settled life off the pitch - is invaluable, he said.

"I am over thirty, they are younger. I am married, they aren't, and it's 
clear that we have different lives. But this doesn't mean
that when we are on field we don't pursue the same goal, which is to 
win. And this is the real and only strength of
Argentinean players.

"Lazio are probably the favourites, at least because they already have 
the Scudetto, is always the favoured. But this Roma
are not afraid of anybody. If we get some luck we are not inferior to 
anyone - on the contrary we are superior to everyone."

He continued: "Emerson's injury was a bad blow for us, but we cannot use 
it as an excuse. Roma has a squad of great
players, and our objective remains the same: to win the Scudetto.

"Up front there are four players: me, Totti, Montella, and Delvecchio - 
an excellent quartet. I think that we are good enough
to guarantee between 50 to 60 goals.

"How many will I score? As many as I can, maybe 30, maybe 35."

Tuesday 22nd August 2000 From One Football