Lazio

Lazio is a football (soccer) club from Italy.

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Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as SS Lazio and as just Lazio in Italy, is an Italian professional sports club most noted for its football (soccer) section, founded in 1900 and based in Rome. Lazio participate in thirty-seven sports disciplines in total, more than any other sports association in Europe.

Lazio's association footballers, who play in sky blue shirts with white shorts, have won Serie A twice, first in Serie A 1973-74 and then again in Serie A 1999-00. As well as winning five Coppa Italia trophies, the latest in the 2008/2009 season. Lazio have earned silverware on the European stage, winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup both in 1999 and the Coppa delle Alpi in 1971. Lazio is currently the only team of the Capital who has won international trophies recognized by the UEFA. Lazio has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football, where they are currently playing in the Serie A 2008-09.

Home games are played at the Stadio Olimpico, a stadium they share with city rivals A.S. Roma.

History

Lazio athletics (track and field) Club was founded on January 9, 1900 in the Prati (rione of Rome) district of Rome. Lazio, that was the first football team of Rome, joined Italian Football League competition in 1912 as soon as the Italian Football Federation began organizing championships in the center and south of Italy, and reached the final of the national championship playoff three times, but never won, losing in 1913 to Pro Vercelli, in 1914 to A.S. Casale Calcio and in 1923 to Genoa C.F.C..

In 1927 Lazio was the only major Roman club which resisted the Fascist regime's attempts to merge all the city's teams into what would become A.S. Roma the same year.

Lazio played in the first organized Serie A in 1929 and, led by legendary Italian striker Silvio Piola, achieved a second place finish in 1937 — its highest pre-war result.

The 1950s produced a mix of mid and upper table results with an Italian Cup win in 1958. Lazio was relegated for the first time in 1961 to the Serie B, but returned in the top flight two years later. After a number of mid-table placements, another relegation followed in 1970–71. Back to Serie A in 1972–73, Lazio immediately emerged as surprise challengers for the Scudetto to Milan and Juventus in 1972–1973, only losing out on the final day of the season, with a team comprising captain Giuseppe Wilson, as well as midfielders Luciano Re Cecconi and Mario Frustalupi, striker Giorgio Chinaglia, and head coach Tommaso Maestrelli. Lazio improved such successes the following season, ensuring its first title in 1973–74. However, tragic deaths of Luciano Re Cecconi and scudetto trainer Tommaso Maestrelli, as well as the departure of Chinaglia, would be a triple blow for Lazio. The emergence of Bruno Giordano during this period provided some relief as he finished League top scorer in 1979, when Lazio finished 8th.

Lazio were forcibly relegated to Serie B in 1980 due to a remarkable scandal concerning illegal bets on their own matches, along with AC Milan. They remained in Italy's second division for three seasons in what would mark the darkest period in Lazio's history. They would return in 1983 and manage a last-day escape from relegation the following season. 1984–85 would prove harrowing, with a pitiful 15 points and bottom place finish.

In 1986, Lazio was hit with a 9-point deduction (a true deathblow back in the day of the two-point win) for a betting scandal involving player Claudio Vinazzini. An epic struggle against relegation followed the same season in Serie B, with Lazio led by trainer Eugenio Fascetti only avoiding relegation to the Serie C after play-off wins over Taranto and Campobasso. This would prove a turning point in Lazio's history, with Lazio returning to Serie A in 1988 and, under the careful financial management of Gianmarco Calleri, the consolidation of Lazio's position as a solid top-flight club.

The arrival of Sergio Cragnotti, in 1992, changed Lazio's history due to his long-term investments in new players to make Lazio a scudetto competitor. Cragnotti repeatedly broke transfer records in pursuit of players who were considered major stars - Juan Sebastian Veron for £18million, Christian Vieri for £19million and breaking the world transfer record, albeit only for a matter of weeks, to sign Hernan Crespo from Parma for £35million.

Lazio were Serie A runners-up in 1995, third in 1996, and fourth in 1997, then losing the championship just by one point to A.C. Milan on the last championship's match in 1999 before, with the likes of Siniša Mihajlović, Alessandro Nesta, Marcelo Salas and Pavel Nedvěd in the side, finally winning its second scudetto in 2000, as well as the Italian Cup in an impressive and rare (by Italian standards) "double" with Sven-Göran Eriksson (1997–2001) as manager.

Lazio also had two more Coppa Italia triumphs in recent years, in 1998 and 2004, as well as the last ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final 1999. They also reached the UEFA Cup final in 1998, but lost 0–3 against F.C. Internazionale Milano.

In addition, Lazio won the Italian Super Cup twice and defeated Manchester United in 1999 to win the European Super Cup.

In 2000, Lazio became also the first Italian football club to be quoted on the Italian Piazza Affari stock market.

However, with money running out, Lazio's results slowly worsened in the years; in 2002, a financial scandal involving Cragnotti and his food products multinational Cirio forced him to leave the club, and Lazio was controlled until 2004 by caretaker financial managers and a bank pool. This forced Lazio to sell their star players and even then-one man club and captain Alessandro Nesta. In 2004 entrepreneur Claudio Lotito acquired the majority of the club.

In 2006, Lazio qualified to the 2006–07 UEFA Cup under coach Delio Rossi. Lazio was however excluded from European competitions due to their involvement in Serie A scandal of 2006.

In 2006–2007, despite a later-reduced points deduction, Lazio achieved a third place finish, thus getting qualified to the UEFA Champions League qualifying round, where they defeated Dinamo Bucharest to get into the group phase, ended in fourth place in a round composed of Real Madrid C.F., Werder Bremen and Olympiacos F.C.. Things in the league did not go much better with Lazio spending most of the season in the bottom half of the table, sparking the protests of the fans, and eventually ending the Serie A season in 12th place. But the next season Lazio won their fifth Coppa Italia 2008-09, beating Sampdoria in the 2009 Coppa Italia Final.

Players

As of July 13, 2009.

Out on loan

Non-playing staff

Retired numbers

12 – Curva Nord of Stadio Olimpico, as a sign of recognition towards the Curva Nord, considered the 12th man in the field.

Notable players

Presidential history

Below is a complete presidential history of Lazio, from when Lazio was first founded until the present day.

onwards.

{, due to the fact that Lazio is a mixed sports club this was chosen in recognition of the fact that the Ancient Olympic Games and along with it the sporting tradition in Europe is linked to Greece.

Originally Lazio wore a shirt which was divided into white and sky blue quarters, with black shorts and socks. Some seasons Lazio have used a sky blue and white shirt with stripes, but usually it is sky blue with a white trim, with the white shorts and socks.

Lazio's traditional club badge and symbol is the eagle, which was chosen by founding member Luigi Bigiarelli. It is an acknowledgment to the emblem of the Roman Empire's army commonly known as the Aquila (Roman); the Roman legion carried the symbol with them when going in to battle. Lazio's use of the symbol has led to two of their nicknames; le Aquile (the Eagles) and Aquilotti (Young Eagles). The current club badge features a golden eagle above a white shield with a blue border; inside the shield is Lazio's name and a smaller tripartite shield with the colours of the club.

Stadium

Stadio Olimpico, located on the Foro Italico, is the major stadium of Rome, Italy. It is the home of the Italian national football team, as well as of both local teams S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma. It was opened in 1937 and after its latest renovation in 2008, the stadium has a capacity of 72,700 seats. It was the site of the 1960 Summer Olympics, but has also served as the location of the 1987 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Euro 1980 final, the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League Final in 1996 UEFA Champions League Final and 2009 UEFA Champions League Final.

Also on the Foro Italico lies the Stadio dei Marmi, or "marble stadium", which was built in 1932 and designed by Enrico Del Debbio. It has tiers topped by 60 white marble statues that were gifts from Italian cities in commemoration of 60 athletes.

During the Serie A 1989-90 season S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma played their games at the Stadio Flaminio of Rome, located in the district Flaminio, because of the renovation works carried out at the Stadio Olimpico.

Supporters and rivalries

Lazio is the sixth most supported football club in Italy with around 3.5% of Italian football fans supporting Lazio (according to the Doxa Institute-L'Espresso’s research of April 2006).
Historically the largest section of Lazio supporters in the city of Rome has come from the northern section just above the Vatican City, creating an arch like shape across Rome with affluent areas such as; Parioli, Prati (rione of Rome), Flaminio, Salario, Nomentano, Cassia and Monte Mario.

Founded in 1987 Irriducibili Lazio are currently Lazio's biggest ultras group. In terms of match day displays Lazio ultras opt for a traditionally Football in England style

The Derby della Capitale, known in English language countries as the Rome derby is a match between Lazio and their main rivals A.S. Roma; it is amongst the most heated and emotional footballing rivalries in the world. A Lazio fan, Vincenzo Paparelli was killed at one of the derby games during the Serie A 1979-80 season after being hit in the eye by a Flare (pyrotechnic) thrown by a Roma fan. Lazio also have a strong rivalry with S.S.C. Napoli. Conversely the ultras have friendly relationships with F.C. Internazionale Milano, Triestina and Hellas Verona F.C.. They also have friendships with clubs elsewhere in Europe, including Real Madrid C.F., Liverpool FC, Espanyol (the four blues: Lazio, Espanyol, 1860 Munich and Manchester City) and Chelsea F.C..

World Cup Winners

- Attilio Ferraris IV (1934 FIFA World Cup)
- Anfilogino Guarisi (1934 FIFA World Cup)
- Silvio Piola (1938 FIFA World Cup)
- Massimo Oddo (2006 FIFA World Cup)
- Angelo Peruzzi (2006 FIFA World Cup)

Honours

National titles

- Serie A: 2

- Coppa Italia: 5

- Italian Super Cup: 2

- Serie B: 1

European titles

- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:

- UEFA Super Cup:

- UEFA Cup:

- Mitropa Cup:

- Coppa delle Alpi:

Other Achievements

- Amsterdam Tournament:

- Ted Bates Trophy:

- Teresa Herrera Trophy:

- Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo:

Youth team titles

Società Sportiva Lazio as a company

In 1998, during Sergio Cragnotti's period in charge, Società Sportiva Lazio became a joint stock company; Lazio were the first Italian club to do so. Currently, the Lazio shares are distributed between Claudio Lotito, who holds 61.312%, and other shareholders who own the remaining 38.688%. Along with Juventus F.C. and A.S. Roma, Lazio is one of only three Italian clubs listed on the Borsa Italiana (Italian stock exchange). Unlike the other two Italian clubs on the stock exchange there is only one significantly large share holder in Lazio.
According to Deloitte Football Money League published by consultants Deloitte, in the 2004–05 season Lazio was the twentieth highest earning football club in the world with an Deloitte Football Money League Rankings for the 2004/05 season of €83 million.

Atalanta, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Chievo, Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, Lecce, Milan, Napoli, Palermo, Reggina, Roma, Sampdoria, Siena, Torino, Udinese