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World record Vieri transfer complete

Lazio agrees on final terms of $48.5 million deal with Inter

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Posted: Wednesday June 09, 1999 11:18 AM

Christian Vieri scored 13 goals in 22 league games in his first and only season with Lazio. Allsport UK/Allsport

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Christian Vieri will move from Lazio to Inter Milan in a world record deal worth 90 billion lire ($48.5 million), Lazio owner Sergio Cragnotti confirmed Wednesday.

The move sends Vieri, the star of Italy's national team, to his ninth club in eight seasons, and sets up a spectacular frontline at Inter with Ronaldo, a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year.

After meeting with Inter counterpart Massimo Moratti, Cragnotti told reporters that Lazio will part with the burly forward in exchange for Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone and 69 billion lire ($37.2 million) in cash. Simeone's transfer is worth 21 billion lire ($11.3 million), Cragnotti said.

The total value of the swap is a record in soccer. Brazilian Denilson's move from Sao Paolo to Real Betis was worth $35 million when it was agreed to in August 1997.

On Monday, Moratti had announced that the transaction was done, putting its worth at 80 billion lire ($43.12 million). That prompted Lazio to issue a statement saying negotiations were "at an advanced stage" but no agreement had been reached.

Vieri's power should provide the perfect complement to the pace and precision of Ronaldo. But the world's most expensive attack -- Ronaldo moved to Inter for a then-record $28 million two years ago -- won't be showcased in European cup play next season, because Inter failed to qualify.

Vieri scored 13 goals in 22 league games in his first and only season with Lazio, which captured the Cup Winners Cup but lost the Serie A title by one point to AC Milan.

Notable transfers of the past 15 years Player Year From To Fee Christian Vieri Denilson Christian Vieri Ronaldo Rivaldo Alan Shearer Gianluigi Lentini Dwight Yorke Ronaldo Marcelo Salas Juan Veron Gianluca Vialli Christian Vieri Juninho Sonny Anderson Ivan de la Pena Enrico Chiesa Oliver Bierhoff Dejan Stankovic Joerg Heinrich Roberto Baggio Sinisa Mihajlovic Ronald de Boer Frank de Boer Marcelo Gallardo Diego Maradona Andrei Kanchelskis Ruud Gullit Marcel Desailly Alain Boghossian Paul Gascoigne Luigi Sartor Dennis Bergkamp 1999 1997 1998 1997 1997 1996 1992 1998 1996 1998 1998 1992 1997 1997 1997 1998 1996 1998 1998 1999 1990 1998 1999 1999 1999 1984 1988 1987 1998 1998 1995 1998 1993 Lazio Sao Paulo A. Madrid Barcelona Deportivo Blackburn Torino Aston Villa PSV Eindhoven River Plate Sampdoria Sampdoria Juventus Middlesborough Monaco Barcelona Sampdoria Udinese R.S. Belgrade Dortmund Fiorentina Sampdoria Ajax Amsterdam Ajax Amsterdam River Plate Barcelona Fiorentina PSV Eindhoven AC Milan Sampdoria Lazio Inter Milan Ajax Amsterdam Inter Milan Betis Lazio Inter Milan Barcelona Newcastle Utd AC Milan Manchester Utd Barcelona Lazio Parma Juventus A. Madrid A. Madrid Barcelona Lazio Parma AC Milan Lazio Fiorentina Juventus Lazio Barcelona Barcelona Monaco Napoli Rangers AC Milan Chelsea Parma Rangers Parma Inter Milan $50.0 $35.0 $28.0 $27.9 $26.7 $23.3 $21.5 $20.5 $20.0 $19.7 $19.7 $19.6 $19.3 $19.3 $19.3 $17.0 $15.0 $14.1 $14.0 $13.7 $13.0 $12.4 $11.0 $11.0 $9.4 $9.0 $9.0 $8.5 $8.5 $7.9 $6.8 $6.8 $6.3 Fees are in millions

He led Italy with five goals at the 1998 World Cup, and his goal and assist Saturday helped the Azzurri rout Wales 4-0 to move within one victory of clinching a berth at the 2000 European Championships.

Vieri's physical style of play is his biggest asset. At 6-foot-1 (1.85 meters) and 180 pounds (82 kilograms), he can muscle most defenders off the ball and is dangerous on headers.

He moved to Lazio from Atletico Madrid last August on a $30 million transfer fee and signed a five-year $15 million contract.

 

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