It’s the summer of 2019 when the Lazio is looking for a defender. A defender who can complete the unit with Acerbi, Luiz Felipe and Radu, perhaps providing greater physicality and ability in the air. The choice, perhaps dictated by Skriniar’s performances in Serie A, falls on Denis Vavro, Slovakian defender who was doing so well at Copenhagen. Perhaps a courageous choice, but which still led to a significant investment, with a cost of 10 million euros, plus two bonuses. In the first months, what dominates is the hope that Tare’s intuition has seen us through.
Denis Vavro and an unborn love
The 1996 born player finds very little space in a Biancoceleste team where, among other things, everything depends on perception. In fact, Inzaghi’s men are sailing in the upper areas of the table, even cradling the championship dream. A dream interrupted only by the pandemic. The central defender finds space in the Europa League, where, however, it doesn’t shine and doesn’t convince much anymore. The light, or rather hope, arrives on February 23, 2020, when, due to numerous absences, he plays as a starter in the championship match against Genoa. Vavro shows off especially in aerial tackles, where he is practically unbeatable.
That performance, however, remains a flash in the pan, given that, in the following season, he was not even included in the Champions League list. History doesn’t change even with Sarri on the benchto. The loan to Huesca it is an inevitable consequence. His relations with Lazio become complicated, so much so that, in a live Twitch broadcast, he has anything but positive words about the Capitoline club. An adventure that therefore ends without ever having really begun, with the salvation of him that is called return to Copenhagen. The Slovakian defender gets back on track and starts shining again. And they even arrive compliments from a certain Pep Guardiola: «Both Copenhagen central defenders build the play well, especially Vavro. He has an excellent long throw. I really appreciate the technical qualities of good level players».
In short, perhaps nothing worked at Lazio, with a size and a championship that was too big and too important. Those 12 million spent remain to be understood, especially for a team that makes budget balance its main strengths and characterisation. However, errors can undoubtedly be part of the game.