After his exceptional time at Valencia, Mendieta was visibly the subject of interest across Europe. Plenty of clubs were monitoring his situation, but the time finally came, he completed a massive 48 million euros move over to Lazio in the Serie A. However, Gaizka’s time there wasn’t exactly ideal. He was signed as a replacement for Pavel Nedved and Juan Sebastian Veron, but Mendieta struggled to impose himself on the pitch, before ultimately leaving just a season later, to Barcelona.
Many have often referred to his Lazio move as the turning point in his career, as his performances went on a downward spiral after that. He never really matched up to the levels that once saw him hailed as the best midfielder in European football. In Part 2 of this exclusive interview, Gaizka speaks about his time in Lazio and what transpired in the aftermath.
http://youtu.be/iaxGXrfSSzQ?list=UUVzRxApU87NoQiIM0JGazHA
PART ONE IS AVAILABLE HERE
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