The match just ended and we beat Cagliari away 1-4 after a scary first half.

Goals were scored by: Zarate (pen) 62 and 71 min; Pasquale Foggia 75min and Goran Pandev 84min.

The match reports from new agencies as well as links to goals and photos to follow today or tomorrow.

Bravo ragazzi!

P.S. Surprising results: AC Milan – Bologna 1-2 and as roma – Napoli 1-1.

Lazio: Carrizo; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Rozehnal, Kolarov; Brocchi (Foggia 46), Ledesma, Matuzalem, Mauri; Pandev (Manfredini 88), Zarate (Makinwa 91)

Ok, as promised you can read the match reports from Goal.com here and Channel4 here:

Furthermore, you can view the goals of the match on the below links:

Zarate 1-1; Zarate 2-1 and Foggia 3-1; Pandev 4-1

And here the new Seria A season begins. After waiting so long the day when the team will begin the quest for as many points as possible in order to have the best ending to the season possiblem the wait has finally come to an end.

Lazio faces away Cagliari at the day 1 of the new Serie A season. The match will be played on Sunday at 15;00 CET. New arrivals Carrizo, Lichtsteiner, Zarate and Brocchi are though to be starting the match, more given to injuries of the likes of De Silvestri, Rocchi, Dab and Meghni.

The starting 11 are still unknown because Mr. Rossi has some doubt with regards to starting Kolarov or Radu as left backs and Zarate or dissapointing Makinwa as forwards. Also, it is yet not known which formation shall be used, even though a return to 4-4-2 is quite probable.

It is always imperative to start with a win on the first day of a new season, especially this one as after Cagliari we face Sampdoria and then Milan @ San Siro.

So, there is nothing else to say except for AVANTI RAGAZZI and start with a win.

Here is a match review from Channel4

Late last night AC Milan announced through their web-site the Cristina Brocchi has joined SS Lazio. It being reported that the player, 32 years of age signed a 3 year contract with Lazio estimated to earn just over 1 mil Euros per season, thus joining top earning at Lazio, Rocchi, Zarate and Matuzalem. Brocchi is in a terrific physical shape after going through the entire pre-season camp with AC. However, after the latter club purchased Ronaldinho, Flamini and Cardacio, it became obvious that there was little room left for Brocchi to play with the team.

Brocchi will today (Friday) arrive to the Italian capital for the official presentation and it is more than possible that he may start against Cagliari.

Corriere dello Sport bring pictures of his arrival late last night at Rome here.

Brocchi`s arrival was quite vital given the fact that Behrami and Mudingayi left while Mutarelli is frozen from the first team.

As usual, the days just before the transfers deadline closes are as frenetic as they can get. Teams do their utmost to strengthen their teams. Lazio has done relatively well this summer by selling some players that were bought cheap and bringing some decent players in (Carrizo, Matuzalem, Lichtsteiner, Zarate). However, the departures of Behrami (West Ham), Mudingayi (Bologna) as well as Mutarrelli`s case and constant injuries to Firmani push the team to get another central midfielder that would compete with Ausmane Dabo for that final spot in the 3 men-midfield (Ledesma and Matuzalem are starters).

Also, Rocchi`s injury and constant failure of Makinwa to convcince the team and fans might push the team to bring in another central striker.

Following are the names most linked with us last weeks: in defense, Dommizzi, Dainelli and especially Cosmin Moti from Dinamo Bucurest. In midfield, Augusto Fernanded of River Plate, Guana of Palermo and Brocchi of AC Milan. In attack Crespo and Bogdani of Chievo.

The other important matter in this regard is that Lotito is trying to offload some players who are on the wage-bill and who are ruled out by Delio Rossi to play. Today there is a report that Alberto Quadri has been sold to Monza while it is believed that Roberto Baronio is just days away from living as well (Modena, Ascoli and Breschi as possible destinations).

So much from the transfer market. The bad news is that, it is just certain that De Silvestri and Meghni will miss the first Serie A match against Cagliari. They both picked up injuries in the Coppa match against Benevento. Good luck to them and speedy recovery.

Morning all. You may know by now that we beat Bevento 5 to 1 last night @ Olimpico and thus moved to the fourth round of Coppa Italia, where we face Atalanta next. I could not watch the match, like most of you of course. This is a short report from Channel4. Bad news is that both De Silvestri and Meghni picked us injuries and their extent will be known in the next 2 days. Hope nothing serious. Rossi used the following team:

Lazio (4-3-2-1): Carrizo, De Silvestri, Siviglia (1′ St Cribari), Rozehnal, Lichsteiner, Meghni (1′ St Manfredini), Ledesma, Matuzalem, Pandev, Mauri (28′ St Foggia), Makinwa. (86 Muslera, 49 Cinelli, 10 Zarate, 90 Mendicino)

Delio Rossi’s men thrashed Serie C side Benevento at the Stadio Olimpico, although they got a helping hand to begin with as Cattaneo put through his own net after nine minutes.

Mourad Meghni doubled the advantage and Bueno pulled one back, but in the second half Lazio ran away with it thanks to a Christian Manfredini counter-attack and Goran Pandev brace.

You can watch some pics from the match here. I expected Foggia to play more and Makinwa to score. The latter continues to disappoint and I think a new forward must be brought before the season begins.

Yesterday the team featured in a friendly against a team called Fidene at Formello. Lazio won 4-1. The visitors were first to score. Lazio responded immediatly with an auto-goal scored by a Fidene players. Then Makinwa scored twice to take the team 3-1 after the first half. In the second half, Rossi changed almost the entire team and at the end, it was Manfredini and Zarate who scored for the final result 5-1. Dabo, Firmani, Belleri and Rocchi did not play due to injuries.

Lazio (first half): Muslera, De Silvestri, Siviglia, Cribari, Kolarov, Meghni, Ledesma, Matuzalem, Foggia, Makinwa, Mauri.
Lazio (second half): Degre, Faraoni, Diakite, Tuia, Kolarov (Iozzini), Cinelli, Spuntarelli, Manfredini, Mendicino, Kozac, Zarate

In the other news, Pandev scored twice for Macedonia while Lichtsteiner, Rozenhal and Carrizo all had terrific performances playing for the respective national teams in friendlies.

There is also a bad news. Ledesma`s agent D`Ippolito declared that his client will remain with Lazio this season while there are 99,9 % of changes that next season he will leave, invoking article 17.

Besides Bogdani and Crespo, there is a new named that surfaced today that could interest Lazio after Rocchi`s injury. It is Bruno from Modena. He scored 18 goals last season for the said team.

On Saturday at 20;45, we open the season officially as the team plays Benevento in the 3rd round of Coppa Italia.  The match shall be played @ Olimpico.

While some of our players have returned from international duties with their respective NT`s (Rocchi, De Silvestri and Kolarov) some other have departed to feature for their NT in the friendles mid-week (Carrizo, Radu, Lichtsteiner, Rozenhal,Pandev).

On the mercato front, we are still after a central midfielder and also an attacker. Options for the time being inlcude Crespo and Bogdani from Chievo, who would come as an exchange for Makinwa who is wanted by the latter club. Injuries to defendants from Milan and Juve may see Stendardo move to one of those clubs and in case of his departure, Lazio will immediately sign Romanian Moti. There is also a possibility that Juve make a bid for Ledesma, knowing that he is a bit unsettled,

On the Coppa Italia front, we will be facing Benevento who knocked out Treviso after penalties. The winner of this match will then face the winner of Atalanta – Modena.

Another new of note is the death is A.S. Roma`s president Franco Sensi. RiP.

Nothing important to write about today. Nevertheless, I will try to update you with the latest to my knowledge about the team.

After the PAOK friendly, coach Rossi gave 3 days off to the players. They trainings will resume tomorrow, on the 16th of August.

Tommaso Rocchi will be out for at least a month. We would be lucky if he manages to return for our second Serie A match against Sampdoria at home. Nevertheless, I doubt it.

It is almost certain that Augusto Fernandez, highly rated midfielder from River Plate will not join us as it appears he failed in his attempt to obtain a Spanish passport before the transfer deadline. Let me remind you that Lotito stroke an agreement with River Plate regarding the player (some 5.5 mil Euros) pending his provision of an EU passport.

In other news, Rossi once again said that this team needs another midfielder. On the other hand, Rocchi`s injury, Makinwa`s lack of goals in the pre-season as well as the fact that Pandev and Zarate are not first strikers may push Lotito on the market for a new striker. Corriere dello Sport today wrote about the idea of bringing back Hernan Crespo, but given his astronomic salary, that his a highly unlikely move.

As announced, Lazio played and won the friendly against Paok with goals scored by Matuzalem and Meghni. The first at the very beginning of the match and the second just after the second half had begun. Overall it was a positive display. More than 20.000 spectators attended the presentation and the match.

Lazio (4-3-2-1): Carrizo (21′ st Muslera), Lichtsteiner (15′ Diakitè), Siviglia (32′ st Faraoni), Rozhenal (1′ st Cribari), Radu (30′ st Manfredini), Meghni (43′ st Cinelli), Ledesma, Matuzalem (1′ st Dabo), Mauri (48′ st Mendicino), Pandev (13′ st Foggia), Makinwa (1′ st Zarate). (7 Belleri, 16 Tuia, 4 Firmani, 20 Kozak).

Lazio – Paok; the goals

The long anticipated moment when the fans can finally see the new Lazio at Olimpico has arrived. Lazio is playing Paok in a friendly that will also serve as a team presentation before the domestic fans. I expect at least 30.000 fans present at Olimpico as the new signings, mainly Carrizo, Zarate and Matuzalem have increased the desire of Lazio fans to attend live matches. Also, popular prices for tickets will influence attendance.

There is also a bad news for us: Tommaso Rocchi has picked up an injury and will return from Olympics after playing only 60 minutes for the Italian NT. Apparently he has a damage to his fibula. This is what he had to say about this injury:

“I was feeling better before,” Rocchi sighed. “But I woke up this morning and I still felt this pain and so the decision was taken along with the doctors.

“Unfortunately the tests took any hope away. I will stay to watch the game against Cameroon and then I’ll return to Italy.”

I really hope he will recover before the start of the season when we play Cagliari away. He is just too important for this team for his scoring reliability. Good luck Tommy