Official: Patric leaves Lazio after 11 years for Al‑Ittifaq

Patric Gabarron, Spanish defender, has ended an eleven‑year adventure with S.S. Lazio to move to Al‑Ittifaq, a United Arab Emirates club, with an official announcement published on 28 September 2026. The player has 244 appearances and 6 goals in the white‑blue shirt.

Official communication from S.S. Lazio

The club released an OFFICIAL STATEMENT from S.S. Lazio stating that defender Patricio Gabarron Gil has been transferred permanently to Al‑Ittifaq. The note highlights that the Emirati club belongs to the United Arab Emirates and confirms the end of the relationship with the player.

Patric's touching farewell

In the video posted on Lazio’s social media profiles, Patric gave an emotional goodbye to the fans, saying the words “Forever one of you”. He recalled arriving in Rome “as a child” and leaving “as a man”, stating that a part of him will remain forever in the Capital.

Transfer details

The move was described as “at the photo‑finish” because it risked falling through due to a transcription error in the contracts. Nevertheless, the parties found a solution and Lazio will not receive any sum, but will save on a salary of roughly €3 million gross per season. Al‑Ittifaq, an Emirati Serie B side, is coached by former Juventus player Paolo Montero and also features Mario Balotelli and Douglas Costa.

Patric was already in Dubai and hoped to complete the transfer without returning to Rome, where he would have been left out of the squad for the league together with Luca Pellegrini. Preparation issues allowed him to take part in very few training sessions and to miss the athletic tests before the withdrawal, leading to his exclusion from the roster.

Sources differ on the year of his arrival at Lazio: one indicates the defender came from Barcelona in 2005, while the other notes a free‑transfer in 2015. Both versions, however, confirm that Patric spent eleven seasons in the white‑blue capital.