The deal was closed for €10 million, with the player set to earn €6 million per year. The documents did not arrive in Qatar by 10 p.m. Italian time, when the transfer window closed.

Alessio Romagnoli remains, unhappy, at Lazio. After much back and forth, the Biancocelesti club had sold him to Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd. However, the contracts were not filed in time and the deal cannot be ratified.

Black smoke—  The agreement had been reached, and the signatures had been affixed just over half an hour before the transfer window closed in Qatar (at 10 p.m. Italian time on January 31). This was a sign that the common intention was to conclude the deal successfully. President Claudio Lotito had also obtained more favorable terms than those secured a week ago, before the first sensational setback. The deal was closed for €10 million, with the player set to receive €6 million per year. However, by pushing too hard, the rope broke. Romagnoli, who would have seen his salary double, is furious, and Lazio had already begun negotiations with Union Berlin and Juventus for Diogo Leite and Rugani. Everything fell through, not because of a lack of will, but because of timing. Romagnoli, who has been on parental leave since Tuesday, must remain in Rome against his will. He is tied to Lazio by a contract until 2027, but his relationship with the club is at an all-time low.