The Biancoceleste of Lazio reigned supreme on Friday night as two goals from Luis Alberto and a goal from the King, Ciro Immobile, saw A.S Roma embarrassed by their bitter rivals.
From the first whistle, the game was extremely open and therefore took only fourteen minutes before the first goal from a complete misjudgement by Roma defender Ibanez led Immobile to slot it into the goal.
Constant pressure from the attacking force of Lazio led to a 23rd minute second led to a first goal for Alberto which landed in the bottom left corner, out of the reach of Lopez.
The second half was much of the same as Roma failed to get a foot in the door and rarely had a chance to test the defence of Lazio.
Alberto’s second came in the 67th minute when a beautifully curled shot from the edge of the box settled the game and sent the Romanisti wondering where it all went wrong.
Despite this, Lazio sit in a measly 7th place still far from the title race where as Roma sit firmly in 4th place but with 2 games in hand and are likely to drop places in the coming days. Either way to both sets of fans, the derby is as important, if not more, than the scudetto and Lazio have gained the bragging rights this season which they will be delighted with.
The San Siro hosts one of the biggest rivalries in Italian football tonight as the two biggest cities in Northern Italy, Milan and Turin, battle it out to be the pride of the north. Despite this bragging rights which both clubs will be desperate to have, the game is also crucial in both teams’ fight for the ‘Scudetto’. Neither team have managed to sit atop of the league so far this season as the red half of Milan currently lead the pack and are sat three points ahead of second place Inter. However a win from Juventus tonight would see ‘The Old Lady’ move up to third place and One point behind Inter leaving them one step closer to retaining the title.
‘If I become a coach, it is because I saw and listened to Antonio.’ : Andrea Pirlo
The two managers have entangled pasts from when Conte managed Juventus whilst Pirlo was sill playing and captaining the team. Slight conflict grew between them when Andrea grew frustrated of Conte’s substation of him in several games, but since then they have only the utmost respect for each other.
Despite this, their interpretation of ‘The beautiful game’ and tactical style differ drastically. Conte’s iconic “3-5-2” which he has so passionately defended, even with criticism at times about his belief and rigidness, focuses most of the opportunities created on striker Romelu Lukaku as well as identifying the importance of the defensive stage. This has proved pretty average with key players like Christian Eriksen failing to work in this traditional style.
Contrasting to, Andrea Pirlo has named his style “Liquid Football”. This is a complete contrast to Conte’s rigid ideas and only suggests ideas to players and allows them to make the best decision in game. He has hailed Louis Van Gaal, Conte, Ancelotti and Cruyff as his inspirations for this tactical masterclass. From the way Juventus play, it is clear to see the Dutch style making a show in their 2-3-5 formation from time to time.
Both teams will be desperate to gain 3 points in what is a true title race this season as both race to catch up to the red and black of AC Milan
Twice a year, the Stadio Olimpico is lucky enough to hold Italy’s biggest derby of the season. Forget Inter vs Milan, Juventus vs Torino, or Atalanta vs Brescia; for these two Roman clubs, this game is the most important fixture of year.
For most fans, when the fixture list is revealed at the start of the season, they immediately look for games with the top clubs or great away days, but for Lazio and Roma fans all their eyes search for is that one game and how long they have to wait to go toe-to-toe with their rivals.
It was 1927 when this ‘brotherly’-like feud was created after Benito Mussolini ordered all four football clubs in Rome to join forces and become a super power strong enough, to rival the northern giants, to win the Scudetto. Unlike most things that the infamous ‘Il Duce’ ordered, this one did not go his way as only three of the four teams accepted, leaving one who defied the proposal; Lazio. Hence the rivalry was born!
Almost all the fanbases of both clubs are within the capital – with Roma fans believed to be from the city with Lazio fans said to come from surrounding areas.
The passion and meaning of the derby came to mean so much more to the ‘Laziali’ and ‘Romanisti’. Almost all aspects of the two clubs differed in the past with Lazio previously seeming to be proud of their right-wing philosophies and ties to activist groups, whereas Roma fans are seen as more left leaning.
As well as this, Roma adopted the colours of yellow and red which are seen as the colours of the uniform worn by soldiers during the Roman Empire. This contrasts to Lazio’s sky blue which originates from the colours of Ancient Greece.
The fans have always made the derby so much more thrilling with every season – the Curva Nord and Curva Sud battling it out to see who can create the most thrilling and amazing display.
A sensual overload of banners, placards, explosions, light and confetti is always seen on both stands as a way of ‘getting one over’ on their rivals before the game has even started.
For example before one derby, the Lazio fans had heard that Roma’s main display was to be a pirate ship. So in response, they took it upon themselves to also have a forward facing pirate ship pointing at the opposite banner with a phrase which translates roughly to ‘Look who is in the distance…CHARGE!’.
Both sets of clubs have an extremely passionate set of Ultras who take their love of the club to a different level. Lazio’s world renowned ‘Irriducibli’ (IRR) made a name for themselves throughout Europe with their crazy mentality but also cashing in on this popularity with several shops around Rome selling merchandise before disbanding following the assassination of their leader Fabrizio Piscitelli who was known as ‘Diabolik’. They were replaced by ‘Ultras Lazio’, which is made up of ex-IRR members, and they introduced themselves to the footballing world before their game against Bologna last March.
Another crazy right wing Ultras group is ‘Boys Roma’ who are one of the oldest in the country. They were formed in the early 1970s and are infamous for stabbing opposing fans, especially those of English clubs, in their bottoms as a form of humiliation.
They also played a key role in getting the 2004 derby abandoned four minutes into the second half after false rumours spread around the stadium that the a child had been killed by the police before the game which led to leading members of the group going onto the pitch to confront Roma players, including club legend Francesco Totti.
This year’s first derby will be extremely odd, with no fans banners or atmosphere. Despite this, the passion will still be felt by all those sat at home watching and shouting for their half of Rome to win. Everyone will be waiting for the time when fans are allowed to enter once again and the derby will be as great as it always has been.
After what seems to be a lifetime of negotiations between the European Union and The United Kingdom; finally an agreement has been made between the two and The U.K has officially left once and for all. However, as a student who wishes to move abroad as soon as my degree is complete, along with hundreds of thousands of others who dream of living across the ocean, how will this impact our future aspirations?
Despite constant debate over Boris Johnson’s ability as a leader and negotiator, he silenced all his critics when, ironically, he gave the whole of Britain an ‘early christmas present’ after a 4 year long battle reached its conclusion on the 24th December when both parties agreed a deal.
It seems as if most of what Mr Johnson had promised was in the deal but for someone who has had aspirations of living abroad for several years, the most important part was how it affects my future plans.
From the delicious food, the traditional music that gives me goosebumps ever time I listen, life in the sun, awe inspiring sunsets and views, friendly natives, passionate football (and beautiful women!), Every part of this country lets my mind wander and I cannot wait to move to Rome and shout “É una bella giornata!” with “An evening in Roma” by Dean Martin playing on my vinyl record player in the background.
As of the 1st of January this year, UK citizens no longer have an automatic right to live or work in the EU, so future expats will now have to look at a country’s individual immigration rules.
As for Italy, the government have introduced a new biometric for UK nationals and family members. The UK government website states that If you have been legally resident in Italy for:
over 5 years, you will be eligible for permanent residency and a 10-year renewable residency document
less than 5 years, you will be eligible for a document with 5 years validity
For people who may just want a glimpse of “La Dolce Vita”, UK nationals can still travel to other “Schengen area” countries without a visa for 90 days.
One major negative of the post-brexit deal is the “Erasmus scheme” which is now no longer valid for UK students. The scheme had previously allowed students to study abroad for a year during their course and/or allowed them to gain experience from a placement job in European countries.
The Brexit deal has without a shadow of a doubt made the changing of countries significantly more complicated but it is still possible and for people with as strong a passion as me, it will take more than this to put me off. Residency permits, work permits and much more will be longer and harder to obtain. Yet, the dream of mine still goes on and I am more determined than ever, as I’m sure many others are too!
With 2020 being such hectic and crazy year, there seems no better way than to finish the years fixtures with an equally hectic and hair raising game. League leaders, Milan, go head to head with in form Lazio, who will be eager to keep the momentum off the back of a strong 2-0 win to Napoli only a couple of days ago.
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Although it will take a little more than luck for Lazio to beat the ‘Rossoneri’ as they are undefeated since the start of the season and are not looking likely to end that streak any time soon.
Milan will be not be hoping for a repeat of last years same fixture after Correa nabbed a last minute goal to send 3 points Lazio’s way. However, a injury crisis is what Milan Boss, Stefano Pioli, has on his hands with many of his world class players ruled out for this game including Ibrahimovic (calf) and Bennacer (thigh) as well as Kjaber, Rebic, Gabbia and wonderkid, Tonali.
Despite this Milan have managed to find the net in their past 16 games against Lazio, with Cagliari being the only team they have a longer record with. Both teams away records have been superb with Lazio managing to pick up 10 points in their past 4 away games with only one team bettering that: AC Milan
With rumours of the San Siro being renovated soon, meaning the historic site of tonights game being knocked down in space of it, who knows how many more times this fixture will be played at the iconic ground. What we do know for sure is both teams will be determined to finish off a strange year for all in style which I am sure will mean a thrilling game for tonight.
The days of the refined Mafiosi gentlemen who wore suits and ties have slowly changed their colours through the decades and have become more hidden in all forms of society. For the mind of these men, there is one sole purpose and that is money. 2018 saw Italian football generate around €2.4 billion; for the money motivated men of the various Mafia groups around Italy, this is music to their ears.
Italian football has unfortunately been plagued with various scandals throughout the years which link these crimes with the groups. These allegations are not only towards one club or one region of Italy but have occurred in recent times with the likes of Calabrian mafia ‘Ndrangheta (and Vincenzo Iaquinta) and Sicily’s world-renowned mafia ‘Cosa Nostra’ (and Massimo Zamparini).
Another iconic case more south of Italy was the signing of the recently passed, Diego Armando Maradona. At the time of his signing from Barcelona to Napoli, the Italian club was in severe financial distress. Despite this, they pulled off a world record-breaking signing which prompted some strong opinions into how the club had sourced the money.
At the press interview of the unveiling of the player, who went on to be known as ‘Odio di Napoli’, one brave interviewer directly asked the chairman of Napoli if the club had used links with the infamous Campanian mafia known as ‘Cammora’ to pay for Maradona. This quickly led to the Chairman losing his temper and screaming for the Journalist to leave the stadium immediately.
The problem is very clear and the hiding of it to prevent reputations from being slandered must be stopped. Obviously, the bigger clubs will always be more susceptible to these groups due to the sheer income that Juventus, Napoli and other top table clubs earn.
Despite all this, so much more can be done to stop this disease in our beloved ‘calcio’. Longer sentences and heavier fines are just some of the many ways that illegality will stay as far from Italian football as possible.
In Memory of Diego Maradona, ‘Odio di Napoli’ (1960-2020)
‘La Dolce Vita’ for 1 Euro; this is the spectacular dream being projected out of the little town of Castropignano situated in Molise, which is almost exactly half way between Rome and Naples.
In shops such as Poundland and 99p stores, you would likely find a tin of food and maybe occasionally an item of clothing. You would walk out with a smile on your face and a proud feeling as you are getting a great bargain for such a low price. The mayor of this town has taken this concept to another level and created his own version of ‘Pound Land’ with that ‘land’ being the land of Castropignano.
The seller of this once in a lifetime opportunity is the towns mayor, Nicola Scapillati who is shouting from his own Italian rooftops about this amazing deal and his encouragement for people around the world to jump head first into what could be the best purchase of their lives.
Like everything in life, there is always a small print. Once a house is purchased, you have to put an immediate deposit of 2000 Euro which you will receive back once the house is renovated. As well as this, the renovation must be complete within 3 years. The mayor projects the cost of renovation to be around 30,000- 40,000 Euro but of course the cost comes down to self knowledge and how cost effectively you could reform the buildings.
Other stipulations which the mayor announced to embassies worldwide include; to support all expenses for the drafting of the deed of sale (notary, registration, transfer, etc.) and to begin work within two months from the date the building permit has been issued.
“It hurts me to see the beauty of our ancient historical centre scarred by crumbling houses, slowly decaying’’.
These are the first words muttered by the mayor which may suggest the whole scheme is indeed too good to be true. In fact the, around 100, houses that are being sold are in serious disrepair and without renovation these dilapidated buildings would likely crumble to the ground. This proves serious physical risk and harm to the buyers of the properties which seems to have been hidden behind the curtain of the amazing price of 1 Euro, which is music to most peoples ears. This is also clear to see in the towns castle which has no roof after it was bombed during the war.
The town is a small town that is situated 620 meters (2034 ft) above sea level in the Province of Campobasso. Due to its elevation it is often referred to as the “Balcony Over The Biferno River Valley”. From the top, one could see a picturesque panoramic view of the surrounding towns and hillsides.
Castropignano is an ancient settlement of the Samnites who were an ancient group of people. They used these heightened places in the mountains as almost outposts to defeat the Romans. However, this did not happen as we know and the Romans conquered them all, leaving only ruins as their memory.
In the modern era, the town, like many others have suffered with the real problem of people leaving in search of a better, and more financially stable life. This is evident in the Castropignano’s statistics that show over 60 percent of the residents today are over 70. Even the mayor, who’s family are from this town, happened to leave after the war like many others and further north in search of jobs. However, the Mayor made a U-turn and was and still is determined to “Stop the decline in its tracks”.
In truth, the price of the houses that this town is selling will always be a bargain. Despite the fact that they are falling apart, the cost of renovation would not be an eye watering sum. For someone who is experienced in renovation, knows the town to some degree and is in search of a quiet and peaceful life, the deal is something that is very prestigious
. It’s a project for someone who wants to invest in the revitalization of rural Italy. It’s a long-term investment in a lifestyle that may become extinct. However, these ancient towns are exactly that; ancient. They are not built for cars; some are designed with the old rural architecture where the ground floor was meant for livestock. The actual process of renovation will be extremely tricky and will be no mean feat. The town itself is not bustling, intact it has only around 900 occupants. It really is down to what life you are searching for and how big of a risk you are willing to take.
Saying all that, sat on a starry night on the balcony of your newly renovated home with a glass of red wine in hand, the low sound of your neighbours having their dinner outside, watching the soft sun set; how could you ever say no?
33,021 exitcable, nervous but passionate fans from Spain and Italy gathered in a slightly dreary Villa Park for the 1998 Cup winners Cup final. This was to be the last of its kind as the competition was replaced the year after. Rome’s soldiers of Lazio represented the beautiful country, having lost the same final last year to fellow Italian counterparts, Inter. However, the Biancoceleste, sporting a unique yellow, were determined for revenge and this time the object in their way were a fiery red Mallorcan side.
Both teams’ road to the final was far from a straight one. Mallorca’s 11 had swept through the first few fixtures of the competition but just managed to squeeze past Belgian side, Genk, as well as reigning champions, Chelsea. For the opposing side, Lazio had also faced close encounters on their run up to the final, except their destroying of Greek side, Panathanikos, 7-0.
The sides reflected each other like a mirror with both teams lining up in a classic 4-4-2 formation. From the blowing of the whistle, it took only 7 minutes for the first goal to be scored and the first roar of the crowd. Giuseppe Favalli had elegantly led a pass which met the head of Christian Vieri and finely lifted over the top of the goalkeeper. The Irriducibli were in full swing with the deafening cheer and celebrations around the blue half of Villa park.
However, the Spanish side were far from down and out. 4 minutes later, down the other side of the pitch, a cross from the right by Spanish winger, Soler, and a tap by Jovan Stanković allowed the game to become a tie, leaving it all to be played for in the second half.
The majority of the second half was dominated by Lazio but a series of attempts by Mancini and co. only resulted in hitting the woodwork and off target. It was only with 9 minutes to go that a stunning volley by Nedved saw a second roar of the Lazio faithful and see them lift the last trophy of its kind and send the joyous Lazio fans singing all the way back to Rome.
Sempre con noi; always with us. Words grievously uttered around Rome as yesterday marked thirteen years to the day of the tragic shooting of lifelong Lazio fan and Ultra, Gabriele Sandri.
Memorials flooded in up and down Italy from all clubs yesterday as rivalry and hatred was put aside for a greater, deeper cause. A subject in which every fan, no matter the club, feels extremely passionate about; after having been unjustly shot and killed by a police officer.
The 11th of November 2007 was as mediocre and as usual as any other away day for Gabriele and the group of Lazio fans he was travelling with. A long drive from Rome to Milan as the blue half of the northern city, Inter, hosted a hotly contested match with the Biancocelesti. The tragedy, doomed to haunt the sport, the country and Police for years to come, happened at a petrol station in Tuscany on their way towards Milan.
The passion that the group of Lazio fans, which included Gabriele, was evident as it wasn’t long before a fight broke out at the station between them and a set of Juventus supporters. It was almost fate that Tuscan police officer, Luigi Spaccarotella, happened to see the quarrel.
Upon seeing this, he fired a gunshot in the air which resulted in the fight dispersing and seeing Gabriele and his friends rush to the car. However, one bullet would not be the number of shots fired by the officer as only minutes after, he fired another two shots, aiming at the car, resulting in one of the two hitting Gabriele’s neck and killing him instantly.
As the inevitable court proceedings came around, Luigi had cowardly claimed his gun fired ‘by accident’ causing outcry within the court and out of it. The officer was sentenced to a mere six years in prison despite the prosecution asking for over double (14). A 2010 Florence appeals court saw his term increase to nine years and four months; however, the destruction caused by his death had already been done.
His death led to both halves of Rome coming together for a greater cause with the ‘Derby della Capitale’ seeing both captains place a wreath in memoriam. As well as this, ultras groups up and down the country coming together with banners every year put up in towns across Italy showing the unjust death of Gabriele and showing that he will never be forgotten; Gabriele Vive!
When we got him, my god, it seemed like Jesus Christ was arriving…
Paul Gascoigne was met with nearly one thousand Lazio fans the moment his feet stepped off the plane at Fiumicino Airport in 1992.
Reminiscence of Diego Maradona’s God-like entrance in Naples must have been replaying in the minds of all those who were lucky enough, and crazy enough, to wait at the airport just for a glimpse of the record-breaking signing who had flown over from L’Inghilterra.
The £8.5 million figure (which was later reduced to £5.5 million after his long-term injuries) was a signal of intentions from the new owner, Sergio Cragnotti. He required a stand-out signing that was to flagship the new era under the food tycoon; Gascoigne was most certainly ‘it’.
But the injuries to his leg were crushing. He had so many knocks to his leg in England that it was a miracle he could even run. Even from the get-go, Gazza did not seem on the level that the fans of his previous clubs had been lucky enough to witness.
Mediocre performances started in the 1992/1993 season and a sense of an underwhelming signing began to fill the air of the Stadio Olimpico. However, it was not until the day of the Derby della Capitale, the day that every Roman reveres, when Gazza changed the path of his Italian adventures forever.
Guai a chi ce lo tocca; Trouble to anyone who touches him.
Vs A.S Roma
It was clear Lazio’s Curva Nord had favoured Gascoigne and now perceived him as their ‘saviour’. The 1992 Rome derby was always going to be a hotly contested one and with the media build-up being even more intense than in previous years; it was almost fate that the Englishman would play a vital part.
The score was 1-0 and with four minutes to go, the game looked set to finish in an uninspiring loss. However, Gazza had other ideas. The boy in blue-headed the equalizing goal past Giuseppe Zinetti and into the goal, causing a sea of 35,000 people to erupt in a breath-taking explosion of emotion and cheer, with flares being set off around the Curva Nord; the other 35,000 dressed in red were not so happy.
I’ve played in some big derbies before, up in Glasgow as well, but that was not normal. Scoring was just an unbelievable feeling, but it was not a good feeling, it was more a feeling of ‘thank god for that’.
With Diego Maradona, Vs Sevilla.
Of course, after a goal like that, the man could do no wrong. The press was calling him the ‘best attacker to grace Italian football since Maradona’. However, as much as the Italian press loved the highs, they also loved the lows and with his off-pitch antics becoming more popular than the ones on, his time in Rome was never going to be a long one.
He deflated the tyres of Aaron Winter’s Porsche, he slipped a dead snake in Roberto Di Matteo’s jacket pocket, he attached Dino Zoff’s whistle to a Turkey and released the bird on the training field, and had a propensity to turn up to team dinners naked.
The following seasons had been similar to that of his first few games at Lazio; uninspiring. When he came back for the 1993/94 season overweight, relationships began to grow thin and the hounding of the Italian media heightened.
With a series of injuries, poor performances and off the pitch issues, Gascoigne’s honeymoon in Rome seemed like it was drawing to a close. The arrival of new manager, Zdeněk Zeman, also did not help. In the 1994/95 season, Gazza only played 5 games; this was enough to send the Brit back to familiar waters with a transfer Scottish side Rangers sealing his fate.
To this day, banners of Gazza can be seen flying around the Curva Nord at most games and, on the rare occasions he returns to the Stadio Olympico, he is greeted just like he was when he first set foot in the Capital; like a God.
Max Payne 