Lazio wants Pantelis Kapetanos

Ilie Dumitrescu is under pressure. Steaua could lose the only forward in the squad.

Lazio's number one target is Hugo Almeida from Werder Bremen and Pantelis is their back-up choice.


Steaua faces now a difficult choice. To sell Pantelis Kapetanos for the money or to keep him? The 27 year old greek is on Lazio's transfer list who want to fortify their attack with another striker before the start of the season. Ştefan Radu's side wants 26 year old Hugo Almeida from Bremen, but the Portuguese is more expensive than Kapetanos. The Italian press is guessing that the Greek's price is about 2 million euros.

If the transfer will take place at that price it will be Steaua's finest deal in a long time and the profit will be excellent. Pantelis came to Steaua on a free transfer two years ago from AEK Athens after his medical problems made him lose his place in the team. He impressed in the Romanian league, scoring 26 goals in his first two seasons with Steaua.

The greek hasn't made his debute in the new season. He played at the World Cup so he joined his club late in the pre-season training with an injury on his ankle. He is available vor the match against Victoria Brăneşti and he will be on the pitch from the first minute on Monday. Steaua's new coach Ilie Dumitrescu said he is one of the most important players of the team.


"Kapetanos has excellent heading skills and is a born goalscorer. He is a very important player on my team"
Ilie Dumitrescu, Steaua's coach


4 million euro was the sum that Steaua received from her last two transfer deals with Italian clubs, Nicolae Dică to Catania and Dorin Goian to Palermo

2 forwards are in Steaua's squad without Kapetanos, Bogdan Stancu and Romeo Surdu. Stancu has been on the first team since the start of the season, while Surdu was just a substitute


Four contenders at Lazio
Kapetanos will have a tough competition for a spot on the first team at Lazio. Captain Tomasso Rocchi, Mauro Zarate, Makinwa and Floccari are his opponents. The Greek will replace Julio Ricardo Cruz who left Lazio this summer.

Steaua refused to sell him last winter
Steaua could have sold Kapetanos last winter. A team from the English Championship Division offered 1,2 million euros but Becali refused the deal: "I'm keeping Kapetanos, i'm gonna win the league and get more money from UEFA!"


Kapetanos at Steaua:
- he scored 11 goals in his first season and 15 his second, finishing as the second top goalscorer in Liga I, one goal short in the battle with Dinamo's Andrei Cristea.
- he played in 54 league games for Steaua in two years
- with him, Steaua finished 6th in 2008/2009 and 4th in 2009/2010