Danilho Doekhi has spoken for the first time as a Lazio player, declaring he is “very happy” to join the Serie A side following the completion of his free transfer. The 28-year-old central defender signed a three-year contract until June 2029 after finalising medical examinations in Rome.
“I’m very happy to be here. Lazio are a very important club, so I’m glad to have arrived,” Doekhi told the club’s official channels. “I’ve spoken with coach Gattuso. We had a good chat. Now we just have to work.”
Defensive reinforcements
The Dutchman arrives without a transfer fee after allowing his contract with Union Berlin to expire on 30 June. He becomes the second free agent to join the Biancocelesti this summer, following the arrival of Alfonso Pedraza.
Doekhi’s signing addresses an urgent requirement for depth at the back following recent departures. The club sold Mario Gila to rivals Milan earlier in the window, whilst captain Alessio Romagnoli has agreed terms with Al-Sadd, though that transfer has not yet been finalised weeks after the clubs reached an agreement.
The defender, who turned 28 earlier this month, will wear the number five shirt for his new club. He noted the presence of two Dutch teammates would help him settle in the Italian capital. “There are already two Dutch lads here and that helps me a lot,” he said.
Family ties and football idols
The Amsterdam-born defender possesses established connections to Italian football through his uncle, former AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea defender Winston Bogarde. Doekhi revealed he consulted his relative before making the switch. “He told me Lazio are a great club and Italy is a beautiful country to live in, and that the league is very competitive,” he explained.
Doekhi developed through the renowned Ajax academy before establishing himself at Vitesse, then spent two seasons with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. Despite his family heritage, he cites former Real Madrid and France centre-back Raphael Varane as his primary inspiration. “My idol has always been Varane. He’s stopped playing but I always liked him enormously, partly because we have a similar style,” Doekhi said.
Describing his playing style, he added: “I’m a defender who tries to read the game, who likes defending, taking on strikers and stopping them from scoring. But I also like to be dangerous in the opposition box from set-pieces and score with my head.”