Archive for May, 2007
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.
In case you did not watch this match, I`m telling you that we deserved a bit more than what seems to be a hardly fought win. Especially in the first half when we totally dominated Livorno who were playing worse then an amateur club. Jimenez was very inspired to play and I am glad he found a bit of his form and scored the winner.
Some players like Jimenez, Mandredini and Behrami were really inspired and motivated to play. They were all over the place and I must give credit to them. What stroke me more was a really poor performance by our main striker Tomasso Rocchi who has failed to score in the last 4-5 matches. Pandev, whom I criticized severely for his performances and engagement in the last month and a half was a bit better but far far from his best.
Milan`s draw against Fiorentina at home means we have returned to the 3rd spot and Palermo`s crush at home against rioma means were are almost mathematically sure of a CL spot.
Here is the match report from channel4.
Lazio: Ballotta; Behrami, Siviglia, Cribari, Zauri; Mutarelli, Ledesma, Manfredini; Jimenez (Belleri 77); Pandev (Makinwa 80), Rocchi
Livorno: Manitta; Grandoni (Balleri 76), Galante, Knezevic, Pasquale; Vidigal, Morrone, Filippini; Fiore (Bergvold 66), Paulinho (Cesar 57); Lucarelli
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.
