Belgrade, YUGOSLAVIA, October 25 (Reuters) - Lazio's goal-scoring hero in the
Champions League, midfielder Dejan Stankovic, has warned he may quit
the club at the end of the season.
Yugoslav international Stankovic said he was considering leaving the
Italian Serie A team because he was ``unhappy with his status.''
However, Stankovic is confident Lazio can reach the second group stage
of the Champions League.
Stankovic told Belgrade's B-92 radio after he scored the goal to beat
Turkish team Galatasaray 1-0 on Wednesday: ``We've won two in a row
and I think we're in a good position to qualify.
``Getting through to the next group stage of the European Champions
League would mean a whole lot to us.''
Lazio, who are bottom of a very tight group D, lost their first three games
before winning two in a row to move to six points, but they need another
win at Nantes next week to get through.
The French champions lead the group with eight points from five matches,
PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray are tied on seven, ahead of Lazio.
Stankovic, who scored the winner against the Turks after coming on as a
second-half substitute, said Lazio would have to be at their best to beat
Nantes.
``It's a make-or-break match for us and we must perform at our best
level to win. The Serie A derby against Roma on Saturday will be a good
dress rehearsal,'' he said.
The midfielder said he was thinking about leaving the club at the end of
the season because he was not entirely happy with his status.
``I've been here for four years and there's no improvement in my status. I
thought the new coach would rotate more players but the starting line-up
is always the same,'' he said.
``It was very obvious in the 3-1 home defeat to Nantes a few weeks ago
that some players are very tired,'' he added.
Alberto Zaccheroni, who won the Italian league title with AC Milan in
1999, replaced Dino Zoff as Lazio's head coach last month after the team
had made a bad start to both the domestic season and the Champions
League.
