Lazio striker Goran Pandev's legal battle with the club is escalating.
On Monday President Claudio Lotito complained that "when a player publicly states he wants to leave and won't renew the contract that expires in a year, other sides will wait for him to become a free agent.
"That is damaging to the club financially and this is why we are approaching the matter through legal means."
Pandev's lawyers wasted no time in replying to Lotito's accusations with further threats of legal action.
"We cannot help but note Lotito is repeating the assertion that one of the players in Pandev's situation broke the rules by making alleged deals with other clubs before the deadline," read a statement from Mattia Grassani.
"If such accusations proved to be true, the subject was certainly not Pandev. If this claim is made again, we would hope Lotito would indicate the name of who he is complaining about.
"Otherwise, faced with mere allegations that are totally devoid of proof, Pandev will seek to defend his good name and image in all courts of law."