Cragnotti puts Lazio exit on hold

Happier times for Cragnotti (l) with Sven Goran Eriksson

Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti has put his resignation from the Serie A side on hold at the request of the club's administrative council.

Cragnotti wants to quit and sell the controlling stake in Lazio which is owned by his family's food company Cirio.

But he has been forced to defer his decision to leave after the team's administrative body threatened to resign en masse.

I no longer feel at home in this world of football - my stay at Lazio will be brief

  Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti

Cragnotti has faced protests from fans recently as leading players Pavel Nedved and Juan Veron look set to leave Lazio.

"The Cragnotti family is putting on the market its shareholding in Lazio to transfer control (of the club) to others," Cragnotti said on Thursday.

"I do not want to ruin Lazio, the investments will continue...but I want to live a quiet life.

"I no longer feel at home in this world of football. My stay at Lazio will be brief."

He added: "Soon I will leave the presidency - it will be down to the board of Cirio to decide on investment policy in Lazio.

"Lazio is a publicly quoted company. If the fans want to take control then let them."