Archive for the ‘Match Previews’ Category

You know things are bad when; The President of your favorite soccer team is resigned to throwing his hands up to another person to steer the sinking ship that is SS. Lazio. Some can say what they want but a combination of poor results and constant pressure from fans has left Claudio Lotito no choice but to reshuffle the coaching duties. “We chose Reja when it became clear the team needed a radical change of direction to find the strength and hunger to fight. Reja is experienced and a great Coach. Unfortunately this was a necessary choice, but Ballardini remains without doubt a wonderful tactician and a good man.” Wonderful tactician? Hardly! Then again, Lotito was the one who put Ballardini in charge with specific orders not to play specific people, *cough: Ledesma, Pandev, Stendardo, Firmani, Manfredini, and on and on. Surely he had to come up with some nice parting words for the ever so loyal spine-less excuse for a coach.

Thus, we turn the page on one of the darkest chapters in our 110 year history on to a man whose last name rings of foreign land yet speaks in the tongues of the Romans.
Meet our new coach “Il Mister” Edoardo “Edy” Reja. (pronounced R-e-y-a). Hailing from one of the most northern parts of Italy in the province of Gorizia (Boarders with Slovenia) , Edy is a returning ‘newcomer’ I guess it’s fair to say after only coaching in Serie A for 2 seasons previously with Napoli. Reja however is no stranger to the lower levels and the fight for survival, which is something we desperately need. His accolades are few yet throughout his first week in the capital many colleagues from around the peninsula are praising Lazio for swooping Signore Reja from his contract in Croatia. From former manager Dino Zoff to Palermo Fire-cracker President Maurizio Zamparini, Edy’s admirers are on the up-and up. (Now let’s hope for the same in results) It’s important to note that Reja left his post with club Hajduk Split who are languishing in the middle of the pack of the Croatian League.
Like his predecessor Ballardini (Arrigo Sacchi School of Hard Coaching) Reja comes from a successful coaching background in Fabio Capello. The two played together first and foremost in Serie A before Reja called it a career in 1975 and 125 Serie A appearances later.
At this point accolades and warm wishes will only get this blog — this far. We the Canadian Lazio Supporters Community would like to extend our warm wishes to our new trainer yet the honeymoon will only last until Sunday. Like Lotito said we are in a results business and Lazio is desperate for a result against Parma…Badly. Our survival counts on it. With 14 weeks to go, from here on end every match will be like a final for the Bianco-Celeste. Like we’ve done up until now remains the same, Pray and then talk badly when the results don’t arrive. New coach? New results? Speriamo (I hope so)

On the eve of what is the last day of the transfer window, mystery surrounds all of us in sky-blue. If you feel like someone’s pulling a dirty prank on you: YOUR NOT ALONE.

Let’s break things down on the incoming side of things first:

According to lalaziosiamonoi.it ; the most certain of deals that looked to be bringing in Red Cross Relief in the form of a Yellow Submarine from Spain is off! Sebastian Eguren looked(literally photographed with Lazio paraphernalia) all but set to be installed into the midfield of Lazio for tomorrow’s game versus Juventus. The club agreed a deal in principle with Villarreal for a loan and future fee agree deal. The only thing we know for certain is his agent has indicated that his blood pressure is slightly high, and Lazio have grown uninterested in prolonging this charade. Mixed reports out of the formello say he’s already returned to Spain after failing a second test, and Lazio have swooped for two new additions.
As Stefano Federici puts it bluntly in his article, Lazio has been creating plenty of smoke without much fire. If all goes to plan they will be successful in blowing smoke up all our asses with the next two names we have been linked with:
Thomas Hitzlsperger,

The hammer as he’s become affectionately known to by his adoring German fans has landed in Rome in a shock swoop that makes Igli Tare look like a hero and his former club Stuttgart looking like goats if all that is being said is in fact true. Anyone’s guess is as good as mine to if this is true. We have no understanding on what agreement has been made (figures, term etc.). Why bother checking the team’s official website for confirmation? The most un-informed information provider of the first team of Rome if I’ve ever seen one.
Ederson:

Now onto even more confusing turn of events. Remember way back in the summer of 2007 when we pulled the coup of all coups and managed to qualify for The UEFA Champions League? Well one of the thousand of names that we were linked with that mercato and didn’t sign was a man who was turning heads at OMG Niece. Well we didn’t get him then and I really doubt we’ll get him now as he signed for Lyon later that year for €14 million. Yesterday his agent claimed that both agent and player want Lazio, Lotito wants Ederson “Si Party” ASSOLUTAMENTE NO! Why? Because this is the dirtiest professional sport when it comes to business management I know. A loan deal seemed to be agreed upon by both parties all that was left was the signatures. Today I read the bulletin on L.L.S.N. and it appears Lyon are ready to pull out unless Lotito can sing the tune of 10 million, or suffer the consequences of a loaning him to Rennes. Well we know this can’t happen. Ederson hasn’t spent enough time in Europe to warrant him with the ever so popular EU membership, thus Lazio can only register him via loan since J.P Carrizzo (remember him) occupies that spot while he watches goals go past him at Zaragoza. The website smells bluff. I smell a skunk. And his name is Claudio Lotito.
So as it stands now Lazio have officially brought in 1 player during this transfer window and lost 4. (Pandev, Cribari, Eliseu, and Perpetuini) For a team so desperate for reinforcements that’s hardly a winning ratio. To add insult to injury fan favorite Pasquale Foggia seems destined to leave for more playing time at surprise team of the year Bari, while the latest reports in the Ledesma merry-go-round have him a flick of the pen away from surprise, surprise: Inter. Reports indicate it to be in the region of 8 to 8.5 million Euros with a Primavera player (Not Rene Khrinh) coming out way. Only time will tell what the stooges in suits have in store for us. Like Eguren my blood pressure can’t take much more.
Now onto tomorrow’s clash of the once titans. Juventus have another new Coach and Lazio are a loss away from the relegation zone. Juventus have lost a remarkable nine of their last 12 games in all competition, following up three consecutive Serie A defeats with a midweek Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Inter. Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Grosso sit out bans, while an injury list includes Vincenzo Iaquinta, Mauro Camoranesi, Martin Caceres, David Trezeguet, Sebastian Giovinco, Christian Poulsen, Claudio Marchisio and Hasan Salihamidzic. Should be an easy 3 points right?
Well…It’s hardly going better at Lazio with just two wins in their last 19 Serie A matches leaving the team floundering two points clear of the relegation zone. To make matters worse all the off-field transactions leaving everything from coaching to player personnel in question. Even the rock of all rocks Tomasso Rocchi isn’t safe from the wrath Lotito has created. He too is considering his options with Fiorentina ready to pounce after their gypsy-of a player Adrian Mutu decided to take the Lega Calcio rulebook for a ride by failing not one but two drug tests. One, coincidentally resulting in our elimination from the Coppa Italia last week. As Football-Italia puts it straight in their match preview: Above all the fans blame President Claudio Lotito for creating an atmosphere of tension that has seen its players take legal action against the club.
If history is anything to look at, we’ll probably succumb to defeat while putting up a good fight. To do so we’ll have to do it without: Matuzalem, Cristian Brocchi, Sergio Floccari, Pasquale Foggia, Christian Manfredini and the fact Mourad Meghni is on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Probable formation for the boys in blue are as follows:
Lazio (4-3-1-2)
86 Muslera; 2 Lichtsteiner, 28 Stendardo, 13 Siviglia, 26 Radu; 6 Dabo, 33 Baronio, 11 Kolarov; 5 Mauri; 9 Rocchi, 10 Zarate. A disp: (88 Berni, 52 Luciani, 87 Diakitè, 4 Firmani, 42 Sevieri, 74 Cruz, 18 Makinwa).
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On a last positive note, yours truly will be joined by his compatriots from around the Toronto area at Casa di Mascio for the contest in hopes of urging on this team to turn over a new leaf. Pictures and Videos of Episode 10 of the North Curve to follow. Forza Lazio.