Lazio reach Euro goal with minimum spending

With only two matches to go, there are a number of issues still to be decided in the Serie A.

The title race is nearing its end and the likelihood is that Juventus will retain the crown. Fiorentina and Roma are still locked in a tussle for fourth place while Chievo need only three points to make sure of a UEFA Cup place. At the wrong side of the standings, the relegated sides are now known - Treviso, Lecce and Messina.

Back to the higher quarters of the Serie A, one finds Lazio perched in sixth place. Thanks to Sunday's victory over Lecce, the team from the capital booked a UEFA Cup berth.

Their qualification to European football next season is a story of maximum achievement with the least spending.

It is yet another proof that money does not buy success even though a good chunk of Lazio fans still contest the operate of president and major shareholder Claudio Lotito.

Lazio were on the verge of a financial collapse when Lotito took over in mid-2004. Inevitably, he had to sell the club's best players to balance the books.

The first year was one of transition as Lazio lost the Italian Super Cup to Milan and were ousted prematurely from the UEFA Cup.

Even in Serie A, after a promising start, Lazio started falling off the pace as the competition intensified. Eventually, they got entangled in a battle against the drop until almost the final day of the 2004-05 season.

The fans were not happy with the new administrators at the club. Their expectations were still sky-high after the championship triumph in 2000 under the charge of Sven-Goran Eriksson.

However, Lotito's vision for the club has always been for the medium to the longer term. He kept his feet firmly to the ground and capped the salaries of the players and coaching staff.

Last season, Lotito reached an unprecedented agreement with the country's tax officials to pay back all dues over a considerable number of years. But, perhaps, Lotito's best move so far was the appointment of Delio Rossi as coach. He has been Lazio's winning card all season.

Rossi fostered a healthy relationship with his players, particularly with talisman Paolo Di Canio.

His hand was evident in the way the players expressed themselves on the field of play. Lazio's early exit from the Intertoto Cup was a blessing in disguise for what was to follow. They started this season harbouring no big aspirations other than to stave off relegation.

Consistency in results saw the team settling in a trouble-free position until they hit top form midway through the second round.

It was here that Lazio and Chievo stepped up a gear and profited from the slip-ups of Livorno and Sampdoria. Lazio went on to improve by 14 points over last season.

One augurs that qualification to the UEFA Cup represents a bright new dawn for Lazio.

A number of key players, among whom Massimo Oddo and captain Fabio Liverani, could be on the move. But for Lazio to be competitive, they need to retain their best players and, hopefully, get the continuous all-round support from all their fans.

Statistics

1 out of four penalties on Sunday went off target. Roma, already 2-1 up at the time, were awarded a penalty against Chievo. From the spot, Mancini saw his effort blocked by Chievo's Alberto Fontana. Later on in the same game, Sergio Pellissier temporarily put Chievo ahead after he ably converted a 62nd minute penalty. Elsewhere, David Suazo doubled Cagliari's lead against Parma from the spot. Similarly, Nicola Amoruso sealed Reggina's home win over Messina from a penalty.

2 players - Alessandro Parisi (Messina) and Babu (Lecce) - received marching orders and four others, namely, Amauri (Chievo), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Filippo Inzaghi (Milan) and Pasquale Foggia (Ascoli), grabbed a brace each. Rolando Bianchi was the only player who came on as a substitute and scored.

2nd successive home win for Lazio as they beat the already-doomed Lecce for the first time since August 2003 (4-1 in Serie A). The win enabled Lazio to book a place in the UEFA Cup. Lecce, who have never prevailed against Lazio in 16 league visits to the Olympic Stadium, have collected only one point out of the last available 12. By stark contrast, that of Sunday was Lazio's fourth win in their last six unbeaten games. Reggina condemned Messina to the Serie B after a comprehensive 3-0 win. A draw would not have been enough for Messina. Reggina beat Messina at home for the first time since November 1992 (1-0 in C1).

3rd win for Juventus in as many Serie A visits to Siena as they returned to winning ways after five straight draws. Juventus started like a house on fire as they scored three times inside the opening eight minutes. Fabio Capello's side, beaten only once all season (vs Milan 1-3), need four of the last available six points to retain the title. Never has a side coached by Luigi De Canio, of Siena, prevailed over one guided by Capello. Nedo Sonetti's Cagliari made sure of avoiding relegation as they beat Parma at home for the second season running. Cagliari and Parma have not shared the spoils since a goalless draw on November 17, 1991 (in Serie A).

5th positive home result on the trot (three wins and two draws) for Palermo as they beat Fiorentina to remain with an outside chance for a UEFA Cup spot. It was a must-win game for both sides. But at the end, Palermo's willpower to win and Fiorentina's dire record in Palermo, where they have not won since August 1993 (3-0 in Serie B), shifted the tide in favour of the Sicilians.

8 goals were shared in a pulsating encounter between Chievo and Roma in Verona. Roma dominated the early exchanges as they built a seemingly unassailable 3-1 lead by the 25th minute. Amauri's second of the day, 10 minutes before half-time, enabled Chievo to get back in business. After the change of ends, Giuseppe Pillon's side went 4-3 up and only an Olivier Dacourt goal midway through the second half salvaged a draw for Coppa Italia finalists Roma. The Giallorossi have won only once in their last six league outings and their chances of claiming the last remaining Champions League berth are becoming remote. Chievo - likely to play in the UEFA Cup next season - have a truly dire home record against Roma as they have never prevailed in five Serie A home meetings... three draws and two defeats.

29 goals were scored on the 36th day: 18 coming from the hosts and the remaining 11 from the visitors. Foreigners contributed with 10 goals. Total number of goals scored so far amount to 940. Luca Toni was not on target last week. However, the Fiorentina hit-man still leads the scorers' list with 28 goals (two from penalties). The Italy striker is followed by Juve's David Trezeguet on the 22-goal mark and Cagliari's David Suazo (21). No hat-tricks were registered. Inter's Marco Materazzi committed the only own goal of the day.

57 years had to pass for Milan to return to winning ways against Livorno at the Meazza stadium as the Rossoneri scored a goal in each half to remain within sights of long-time leaders Juventus. After their mid-week Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona, Milan dominated for long stretches as they hustled and bustled with a view to remain in the hunt for the scudetto. Livorno were no easy opponents to beat but in the end, Milan's efforts reaped the desired dividends. Milan's fourth straight league win coincided with Livorno's fifth consecutive away defeat. Also, Livorno's only win in 14 Serie A visits to Milan dates back to June 14, 1942 (2-0). Milan's home win over Livorno coupled with Inter's shock defeat to Empoli meant that the Rossoneri made sure of the second place and therefore, they have gained automatic qualification to next season's Champions League. In a balanced encounter, Inter went down in Tuscany after their international centre-back Marco Materazzi committed the most classical and farcical of own goals in the last-minute of added time. This was Empoli's second win - the first since September 14, 1986 (1-0) - in seven Serie A home meetings with Inter.