ROME, December 19 (Serie A) - Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti has conceded that goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi is right to take the club to court.

Peruzzi and his team-mates at the debt-ridden outfit have not been paid since June, although Cragnotti had insisted that payments would be met.

And the goalkeeper has followed the example of team-mate and Dutch international Jaap Stam by requesting the club be declared in default of payment last week.

Cragnotti, who is expected to step down early next week, admitted today: ``The goalkeeper is right.''

However the tomato-sauce baron, who held meetings with his financial advisors today is still optimistic that a solution will be found.

``The actual situation of the negotiations? I think that on Monday everything will be done,'' he added.

Players may make a request to the Italian League for a club to be declared in default if they have not received any payment for a minimum of three months.

The Roman club have until January 7, 2003 to make the outstanding payments. Otherwise Peruzzi will become a free agent and thus could move on in the New Year transfer market.

Lazio were put up for sale on November 13 following the financial crisis that hit the club`s highest shareholder, Cirio.

However, no buyer has yet come forward as the club have debts of more than #65million.

Last season former Fiorentina players Nuno Gomes and Predrag Mijatovic made an unsuccessful bid to get the Florence outfit declared in default.

The Viola players eventually became free agents after the club was declared bankrupt by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on September 26.