Ogenyi Onazi To Fight For Lazio Place

[Folami David]

Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi will have to fight harder to secure his place in Lazio, after his manager, Vladimir Petkovic, made a request for a bigger squad to compete better next season.
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Onazi who won the 2013 AFCON with Stephen Keshi's Super Eagles has been a transfer speculation of English Premier League sides, Tottenham Hotspurs and Stamford Bridge outfit, Chelsea.
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The Nigerian international was only a bit part player at the start of the current season, with his appearances for the Rome side being limited to just Cup games.
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But all that took a positive lift after he returned from international duty in February a proud winner of Africa Cup of Nations with Chelsea rushing into the fray to hijack his Premiership move.
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Lazio had, until last week, been the only Italian club in three competitions, as they were in the Europa League quarter-finals and Coppa Italia final.
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But after their Europa League exit, and an ominous slide down the Serie A table, Petkovic has said they need a bigger squad to compete properly next season.
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"You cannot play with only eight, nine or 10 first choice players", the coach said after Lazio got only 12 points from their last 13 games.
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"To compete on several fronts, you need a very big squad. My job is also to understand who isn't in the best shape.
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"The season itself has been positive, so let's not just look at the last few weeks.Now there are still games left to earn Europa League qualification and catch those teams ahead of us in the standings.
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"As long as it is mathematically possible, we must continue to believe".

[Shola Sholaz]

Lazio is a big football club and that is why players must be serious to keep their place in the first eleven. Ogenyi Onazi must be prepared for anything