On May 3rd I posted an entry regarding Angelo Peruzzi and his decision to call it a day of active football. I don`t think he played a match since then, due to a injury that kept him off the pitch every season.

The match against Parma at Olimpico was his last match in front of the home crowd. He entered the pitch 5 minutes before the match ended in order to officially say good bye to football. He was greeted by all fans, players and the staff. Coach Delio Rossi admitted that he tried to persuade Angelo to change his mind but in vain. The legend had decided. So once again it is time to say him a final good bye and all us, Lazio fans want him to remain with the team, in the capacity of club official. Arrivederci Angelo.

In case you are not aware of this story, it all started after the Inter match last Sunday when Delio Rossi, after being asked about his future, said something like: “You never know what the future brings”. This statement of his irritated the fans as well as president Lotito, especially after he is tied to Lazio for 2 more seasons (until June 2009). There are some reports in the Italian that Juventus contacted him through some mediators and that fueled the speculations among the football media.In order to clear the matter up, Lotito organized yesterday a press conference at Formello together with Delio Rossi.

In that press conference, Mr. Rossi said that he was, he is and he will be a Lazio coach at least in the next two seasons, and he was ready to coach Lazio even if they were relegated to Serie B. He said that he was nervous after that defeat against Inter and his words might have been miss interpreted. As a conclusion, let`s this case is closed once and for all and we will not hear such rumors this season.

Despite the defeat against Inter, Lazio has mathematically qualified for next season` Champions League competition. This is because, Empoli, the only team that could mathematically jeopardize Lazio and Milan failed to win their match and therefore, we and the Milan team will make the 4 Italian teams (together with Inter and rioma) that will compete in the most prestigious European football club tournament.

Now, if someone had told me last September that Lazio will qualify for CL, I would probably call him stupid (in the least that is). Points deductions and the fact that there were at least 5 teams with better teams on paper then us (Inter, rioma, Milan, Fiorentina, Palermo) left us with no chances for such high aims. However, the team headed by Delio Rossi proved everyone wrong and fought fantastically making Lazio the most pleasant surprise not even in Italy, but probably in the entire European continent.

Now it remains for the team to finish of the season with as many point, it would be better to finish 3rd of course, above Ac Milan and then go to a well deserve leave. Then they must come back and most seriously prepare for the CL qualifications. Grazi ragazzi.

I guess I was wrong when I wrote a couple of days ago that we should not expect too much from this match, as we witnessed a terrific match, with many goals and a dramatic finish. The outcome is certainly unfair for us, Lazio fans as we deserved at least a draw. However, it was our former striker Hernan Crespo who took care that Inter does not suffer another shameful defeat, after the one on Wednesday again rioma.

I would not blame anyone in particular for the defeat, but I would blame the bad defending. What I mean is: you can not defend so deep against Inter, especially with someone like Crespo capable of doing havoc in the 16 meter box. Cribari and Siviglia sucked today as both of them were outplayed and outpositioned by Crespo alone. Cribari was beaten by Materazzi as well on the occasion of the last goal.

I think the match had 2 important points that could have changed it:

1. Vieira committed a foul on one of our players before passing the ball to Crespo on the occasion of the first goal;
2. Burdisso should have been sent off immediately after the flagrant foul on Jimenez, which occurred in front of the main referee.

I must say that Jimenez was awsome today. Fenomenal and worth of a starting spot in all remaining matches of the season. If he continues his progress I see Mauri strugling to recover his position.

The news that our goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi is saying good-bye to active football will for sure not strike you as a news today. However, it struck all of us, including the entire team after the derby when Angelo declared that he is retiring and that the derby might well have been his last match in Serie A. Peruzzi said that he had made the decision in January and comes as a consequence of an constance injury that hurts him still.

However, there are reports today that Lazio coach Delio Rossi convinced Angelo to play at least the remaining 4 matches of the season, as otherwise his hanging of gloves would not make any sense.  I agree when Delio Rossi said that Peruzzi`s retirement is a bad news for the Italian football as well as for Lazio.

Angelo Peruzzi was born in Viterbo, on 16 January 1970 and has played for Verona, roma, Juventus and Inter, before finally coming to Lazio in 2000.

   0    VS.     0          

I apologize for such a late entry for the derby, but if you have watched the match you will probably excuse me for not writing in time, as the intensity of the match as well as the result did not go in favor of an interesting post.

Since there were little emotions throughout the match, the derby lost its real meaning. There were few chances all over the match. We played a better first half, they did the same in the second half. Pandev through another horrible performance by missing too many pases and failing to make a single assist towards Rocchi. Jimenez was also confused and continued his adaptation into this team. Other players did OK, even though Mudingayi and Mutarelli struggled because they were both booked into the first hald which limited their aggressiveness.

roma: Doni; Panucci, Mexes, Chivu, Tonetto (Wilhelmsson 54); De Rossi, Pizarro; Taddei, Perrotta, Mancini (Tavano 87); totti (Vucinic 73)

Lazio: Peruzzi; Behrami (Bonetto 78), Siviglia, Cribari, Zauri; Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli (Manfredini 76); Jimenez; Pandev (Makinwa 62), Rocchi

Ref: Rizzoli

        0   vs.    1   

Fiorentina once again spoiled our series of defeat less matches. They did it in the first leg and the repeated it yesterday in Olimpico. This time totally without deserving it.

Well losing a match when playing so nice is difficult to swallow. Especially in the first half, this Lazio team without 5 starters (Zauri, Behrami, Cribari, Mudingayi, Mauri and even without Stendardo) proved to be one hell of an opponent for Fiorentina. Rocchi was brilliant hitting the post as well as engaging Frey in at least several other occasions. Other players were doing just fine too. The ball just didn`t want to get into the net. Fiorentina was playing a typical closed match and I was even surprised we managed to create so many chances.

In the second half Prandelli must have warned his players that continuation of such a match will be a disaster therefore they played a bit smarter pushing our midfielders higher. Mutu scored the only goal after Peruzzi`s indecision on Jorgensen`a pass. After the goal, Delio Rossi inserted Tare for Makinwa as well as Pandev who got in earlier a bit for Jimenez. However, we could not score despite some two clear chances from Pandev and Rocchi.

All in all, it was a disappointing result after playing such a nice match. Our clinical finishing which is lacking once again after being our main weapon in the 8 win-in-a-row series (see Udinese match for example). Nevertheless, after Palermo`s defeat at home against Parma, it looks like we are certain of a CL place. However, no team should be underestimated.

Here is the match report from Channel4

It appears that the saga of our goalkeeper Matteo Sereni have come to an end. Our lawyer Gentile yesterday admitted that Sereni did not accept the new 5 year contract extension and will be playing for another team in the next season.

To be honest, I really hoped that the club and Sereni would find an agreement, especially since Peruzzi is so prone to injuries and Ballotta just too old to consider him as a first goalie, or have a serious number of games played. Likewise, it appears that the club owns Sereni an amount of 950,000 Euros.

On the other hand, another former Lecce player (now with Juve and owned for Fiorentinta) Bulgarian ace Valeri Boinov expressed his desire and readiness to play for us and meet up his former coach Delio Rossi. After Chevanton, this is the second player who wants to reunite with our current coach Rossi. No one knows whatever will become of these rumors especially since we already have 5 attackers and unless 2 of the leave, I find it extremely difficult for another one to arrive.

All in all, it appears that Delio Rossi has left some good impression upon his former players as almost every one wants to reunite with him.

Ok, we face Ascoli at Stadio De Luca, the bottom team in the standing in what could easily be a historic win for Lazio as this team would equal the record set by Eriksson`s team in 99-00 season, that is, 9 wins in a row.

Delio Rossi will be without Behrami (out for yellow cards) as well as Mutarelli and Cribari who are yet to recover from the injuries which are keeping them out for over a month now. However, Ledesma will be back after serving a one game suspension against Messina last Saturday. Lazio has to maintain the winning record if they wish to ensure a place in the Champions League next season. Considering our form in the last 2-3 months, meeting Ascoli could not be a difficult thing especially taking into consideration the home side`s grave situation in the standings, however, the team must remain focused and be as clinical as possible in finishing.

Rossi is expected to field the following 11:

Peruzzi; Belleri-Stendardo-Siviglia-Zauri; Mudingayi-Ledesma-Manfredini; Mauri; Pandev-Rocchi.

A full match preview from channel4 can be found here.

When the inform central defender Emilson Cribari got injured over a month ago, most of us, Lazio fans and probable the coach Rossi started to wonder whether his obvious replacement Stendardo would be able to fill in his shoes.

However, Stendardo not only showed a fantastic form in defending which is his main duty, but what is more he scored in two consecutive matches, against Udinese (the opener) and more important the winner against Messina last Saturday. For this reason, he has earned a seperate entry in my blog. Regardless if we purchase any new central defender in the summer, I really wish he stays with us for some time.

Here are Stendardo`s previous clubs: