‘He begged me not to leave for Trabzonspor’ – Ogenyi Onazi on Lazio coach appeal

2013 AFCON-winning midfielder, Ogenyi Eddy Onazi, has revealed how Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi begged him not to leave the Rome-based club for Trabzonspor.

Onazi joined Serie A club Lazio in 2011 after impressing at the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup where he helped Nigeria to a second-place finish as the Golden Eaglets lost the final to Switzerland.

He initially featured for the youth sides of the club before he gained promotion to the first team.

The Nigerian midfielder spent four seasons at Lazio before joining Trabzonspor where he spent three seasons.

The former Lazio midfielder was a member of the Super Eagles squad that won the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.

The 31-year-old has also represented Nigeria at two FIFA senior men’s World Cups in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.

Onazi who currently plays for Italian fourth-division side Avezzano revealed that current Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi, who was his coach at Lazio, did not want him to leave.

“The coach I worked with during my time at Lazio, Simone Inzaghi, was a source of motivation every day, every second as a coach. He had a lot of positive energy. Inzaghi begged me not to go to Trabzonspor.

“He gave me more contracts and more money. I told Inzaghi honestly that I had been here for six years and wanted to get another experience.

“He was not happy about this and said to me, ‘If you decide to leave, I can’t stop you.’ But I am still in contact with Simone Inzaghi.”