No ninth consecutive win but decent point
Lazio come from behind twice, the second time in ten men, to get a draw
The season so far
It was Delio Rossi's second year in charge and the main new players of note were defender Modibo Diakité (Pescara), midfielders Cristian Ledesma (Lecce) and Massimo Mutarelli (Palermo), plus attacking midfielder Pasquale Foggia (Ascoli-but bought from Milan). In January Lazio had also signed Chilean midfielder Luis Jiménez (Ternana on loan) while Foggia had been sent out on loan (Reggina).
Meanwhile, Lazio had lost midfielders Ousmane Dabo (Manchester City- he would return two years later), Fabio Liverani (Fiorentina) and above all charismatic leader Paolo Di Canio (Cisco Roma). In the winter transfer window Lazio had also lost Massimo Oddo to Milan for 11 million Euros.
The season for Lazio started with a 3-point deduction (reduced from the original 11) due to the previous year's Calciopoli scandal in which they had been docked 30 points, thus losing their UEFA Cup place.
Lazio's season had started in August in Coppa Italia. They knocked out Rende 4-0 and Monza on penalties but then lost 4-3 to Messina after extra-time. No cup run this year.
In Serie A, Lazio had lost the first two games (Milan and Palermo). In the first half of the season the Biancocelesti were up and down with disappointing draws (Empoli, Reggina, Cagliari, Livorno, Siena), some victories (Atalanta, Chievo, Udinese, Messina, Torino, Ascoli, Parma) and more bruising defeats (Catania, Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Inter). The highlight had definitely been a 3-0 drubbing of Roma in the derby (Ledesma, Massimo Oddo and Massimo Mutarelli) in December. At the halfway point Lazio were joint 4th but 12 points behind Palermo in 3rd.
In the return fixtures, things were so far going a lot better. Not only were they unbeaten, with 2 draws and 9 wins but they were currently on a roll of 8 consecutive victories. The Biancocelesti were up into 3rd place with a 7-point advantage on Palermo and 8 on Milan. So far Tommaso Rocchi had 14 league goals and Goran Pandev 10.
Ascoli had finished 10th the previous season, under the duo Massimo Silva and Marco Giampaolo. Both games against Lazio ended up in 1-4 defeats. Top scorer was Marco Ferrante with 8 league goals. The Piceni had two Lazio connections in the squad, Pasquale Foggia (2006-07, 2008-11, 2012-13) and Ivano Della Morte (briefly in 1994 and 1995).
This season the Bianconeri started with Attilio Tesser as manager but he was then replaced by Nedo Sonetti after eleven games. The main new arrivals were keeper Gianluca Pagliuca (Bologna), defenders Gaetano Vastola (Salernitana), Paolo Foglio (Siena), midfielders Domenico Giampà (Messina), Simone Pesce (Torres), Stefano Guberti (Torres), Paolo Zanetti (Empoli), Thomas Job (Cremonese) plus forward Marco Delvecchio (Parma). In the winter market session, they also added defender Stefano Lombardi (Arezzo), midfielder Gigi Di Biagio (Brescia) and forward Andrea Soncin (Atalanta).
Leaving were keeper Ferdinando Coppola (Milan), defenders Cristiano Del Grosso (Cagliari), Alfredo Cariello (Crotone), Gianluca Comotto (Torino-end of loan), Massimo Paci (Parma), Maurizio Domizzi (Napoli), midfielders Nicolas Córdova (Messina), Andrea Parola (Sampdoria), Domenico Cristiano (Rimini), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio), forwards Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria) and Marco Ferrante (Pescara). In the winter session they let go of defender Salvatore Bocchetti (Frosinone) and midfielders Gaetano Fontana (retiring), Daniele Galloppa (Siena) and Fabio Pecchia (Foggia).
A lot of changes but clearly not for the better. Ascoli were currently bottom of the table, seven points from safety. The Bianconeri had won 3, drawn 10 (both games against Roma) and lost 17 (including Lazio 1-3). Top scorer was Saša Bjelanovic with 7 league goals.
In the Coppa Italia in August the Piceni had gone out in the 2nd round, losing 0-1 away to Napoli after extra-time.
Today Lazio were clear favourites being on such good form but it was also one of Ascoli's last chances to give themselves some hope.
The match: Sunday, April 15, 2006, Stadio Del Duca, Ascoli
A warm, sunny day in the nice town of Ascoli only attracted about 7,000 fans to the stadium named after the Del Duca brothers, Cino and Lillo.
The local Bianconeri had Paolo Zanetti and Thomas Job out while Lazio could not pick Massimo Mutarelli, Stephen Makinwa, Emilson Cribari and Valon Behrami.
The first fifteen minutes were bland with neither team taking any risks. Then Lazio had two dangerous attacks.
In the 18th minute, a Cristian Ledesma freekick from the left came off an Ascoli player and hit the post, it was then headed in from close range by Guglielmo Stendardo but he was judged to be in offside. A strange decision but the ball according to the referee had been touched by Tommaso Rocchi.
Not even a minute later, Riccardo Corallo slipped in midfield and lost possession, Rocchi ran forward and teed up Goran Pandev who only had the keeper to beat, but his left-footed curling chip went agonisingly wide of the far post. A huge chance.
Lazio were not dominant but had another opportunity in the 26th minute. Pandev put a ball into the crowded area where Stendardo headed but towards the right by-line where Pandev again squared a low pass to Stefano Mauri whose close-range shot was saved onto the post and out for a corner by Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos.
The first half finished goalless. Lazio were on top but Ascoli were defending well.
The second half started with a livelier home side. The "Picchio" came alive and in the 48th minute a long range shot by Andrea Soncin was palmed away from under the crossbar by Angelo Peruzzi.
In the 56th minute Lazio stirred and went the closest yet. From a Ledesma corner from the right, Stendardo towered over his markers and sent a powerful header that came back off the crossbar.
Lazio then made their first substitution, putting on a more offensive Luís Jimenez for Christian Manfredini.
It was Ascoli however, who scored. In the 71st minute Simone Pesce worked a ball well on the right and crossed into the heart of the area where Soncin rose and headed in, anticipating a hesitant Peruzzi. Ascoli 1 Lazio 0.
Lazio equalised almost immediately. In the 73rd minute Ledesma won a tackle on the left and crossed into the area where Pandev shot low but Ascoli's Greek keeper saved, the ball then came out to Rocchi on the penalty spot and he drilled in a low right foot into the left corner. Ascoli 1 Lazio 1.
In the 76th minute however, things degenerated for Lazio. After a prolonged move Gigi Di Biagio had a shot from the edge of the box which hit the bar and bounced back into play where Saša Bjelanovic was going for the header but collapsed after an alleged push by Stendardo. The referee gave it and also sent the Lazio defender off as it was a clear goal scoring opportunity and he was last man. Di Biagio coolly put away the spot kick sending Peruzzi the wrong way. Ascoli 2 Lazio 1.
Things were not looking good for the Roman Eagles, a goal down and in ten men with only just over ten minutes to go.
Ascoli then started making some substitutions, in the 77th minute Michele Paolucci replaced Bjelanovic. On the waves of enthusiasm and sensing the possibility of an upset Ascoli pushed forward again. In the 78th minute Victor Boudianski's low long range shot forced Peruzzi to dive low to his right and parry.
In the 79th minute Lazio went close with Chilean replacement Jimenez whose mid-height curling shot from about ten metres out was saved into corner by Eleftheropoulos.
In the 82nd a midfielder Michele Fini came on for striker Soncin but the defensive tactic backfired as two minutes later Lazio equalised. A Gaby Mudingayi cross into the area found Jimenez inexplicably unmarked in front of goal, the Chilean controlled it and blasted it into the top left-hand corner. Ascoli 2 Lazio 2.
Ascoli felt hard done by and tried to make their numerical superiority count. They however only had one more chance with another Boudianski long range effort parried by Peruzzi and then on the rebound Fini was in offside.
In the 90th minute Lazio buttoned up more, throwing on defender Bonetto for Pandev. They then managed to withstand Ascoli's final pressure to at least bring a point back to Rome. Final score Ascoli 2 Lazio 2.
After a dull first half the game had come alive in the second. In a game Lazio were expected to win, in the end they were relatively pleased with a point seeing how the game had panned out. Their winning streak was finished and they could no longer beat Eriksson's Lazio record (9 in a row in 1998-99) but as they say you can't win them all. Coming back from a goal down to earn a point in ten men had its positives.
Lazio were still 3rd and now had a six-point lead on Milan and seven on Palermo with eight games to go.
Ascoli were still seven points from safety but with one less game to play. Only a miracle could save them.
Who played for Ascoli
Eleftheropoulos, Foglio, Nastase, Corallo, Lombardi, Guberti, Di Biagio, Boudianski, Pesce (87' Vastola), Soncin (82' Fini), Bjelanovic (77' Paolucci)
Substitutes: Boccolini, Perrulli, Bonanni, Melara
Manager: Sonetti
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Belleri, Stendardo, Siviglia, Zauri, Mudingayi, Ledesma, Manfredini (56' Jimenez), Mauri, Pandev (90' Bonetto), Rocchi
Manager: Rossi
Referee: Brighi
Goals: 71' Soncin, 73' Rocchi, 76' Di Biagio (pen), 84' Jimenez
Red card: 75' Stendardo
What happened next
Today’s slight setback definitely interrupted Lazio’s roll and a few days later they drew 0-0 at home to Chievo and then lost 0-1 at home to Fiorentina. They then drew the derby 0-0 but next up beat Livorno 1-0 at home. It was their last win as two defeats and a draw followed. Lazio had however already done enough to conquer 3rd place and an unexpected but extremely welcome Champions League Preliminary qualification. A great season, starting from minus three points and with a great 3-0 derby win thrown in as well. Top scorer was Tommaso Rocchi with 19 goals (16 in A).
Lazio then qualified for the Champions League beating Dinamo Bucharest 4-2 on aggregate.
Ascoli were predictably relegated. In the last 6 games they managed however to win 2, plus a draw and 3 defeats. They finished 19th, overtaking Messina. Top scorer in total was Michele Paolucci with 8 goals while in A it was Saša Bjelanovic with 7. "La Regina delle Marche" has not been back in Serie A since.
The Scudetto was won by Inter for the 15th time. Ascoli went down with Chievo and Messina (the Sicilians have not been seen again while Chievo bounced straight back and stayed another ten years).
Lazio 2006-07
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 59 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
Total | 41 | 19 | 12 | 1 | 67 |
Top Five Appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Pandev | 39 | 36 | 3 |
Rocchi | 39 | 36 | 3 |
Zauri | 39 | 36 | 3 |
Ledesma | 36 | 33 | 3 |
Siviglia | 34 | 32 | 2 |
Top Five Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Rocchi | 19 | 16 | 3 |
Pandev | 14 | 11 | 3 |
Mauri | 6 | 6 | - |
Oddo | 5 | 5 | - |
Siviglia | 3 | 3 | - |
Makinwa | 3 | 3 | - |
Stendardo | 3 | 3 | - |
Let's talk about Luis Jimenez
Luís Antonio Jiménez Garcés was born in Santiago de Chile, on June 17, 1984.
He started his football career at 10 years of age with Palestino from the Chilean capital. Seven years later he made his debut in the first team in the top flight but after only 9 league appearances for the "Árabes”, in 1992 he moved to Europe.
He joined Ternana in Serie B. He stayed four seasons. The Rossoverdi finished 7th twice, 9th and 20th (relegated). His managers were Mario Beretta, Beretta then Bruno Bolchi, four different managers including Giovanni Vavassori and finally Antonio Sala followed by Fabio Brini.
Jimenez however did not stay until the relegation as in the winter transfer market window he left for Fiorentina. Jiménez played 88 league games with 25 goals plus 5 games in Coppa Italia with 1 goal for the "Fere". His teammates included Lazio connections Tommaso Berni (2006-09, 2009-11) and a young Antonio Candreva (2012-16).
Fiorentina were in Serie A and the manager was Cesare Prandelli. The Viola finished 9th and Jimenez played 19 league games with 3 goals (Inter, Parma, Empoli). He played alongside former Lazio Stefano Fiore (2001-04) and Beppe Pancaro (1997-2003) plus future Lazio Cristian Brocchi (2008-13).
In the summer he returned to Ternana who were now in C. He fell out with the owner and he never played so in January 2007 he joined Lazio on loan. He was supposed to come earlier on a definite deal but Ternana changed the cards on the table at the last minute wanting more money than previously agreed. The compromise thus became a six-month loan but was reached later so he arrived in January.
The manager was Delio Rossi and Lazio had a good season finishing 3rd, despite a 3-point handicap, qualifying for a Champions League preliminary round. Jimenez played 16 league games with 2 goals (Ascoli, Livorno). Lazio were then interested in keeping him on but again Ternana’s requests were exorbitant and he went back to Terni but not for long.
In 2007-08 again on loan he joined Inter. The manager was Roberto Mancini, with Sinisa Mihajlovic as his assistant and the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto. Jiménez played 15 league games with 3 goals (Fiorentina, Torino, Palermo), 4 games in Coppa Italia and 3 in the Champions League with 1 goal (Fenerbahçe). He played alongside several past Lazio players: Dejan Stankovic (1998-2004), Julio Cruz (2009-10), Hernan Crespo (2000-2002), Aparecido César (2001-06).
The following year he stayed on with the Nerazzurri. The manager was now José Mourinho and Jimenez played 6 league games, 1 in the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa (won against Roma on penalties, with Jimenez scoring the 6th). Inter then won the treble (Scudetto, Champions League and Coppa Italia but not the Supercoppa where they lost 1-2 to Lazio in China)
In 2009 he joined West-Ham United in the English Premier League. The Hammers' manager was Gianfranco Zola and they finished 17th. Jimenez played 11 league games with 1 goal (Burnley) and 1 game in the FA Cup. One of his teammates was former Lazio Valon Behrami (2005-08). Jimenez however left in January 2010 and returned to Italy.
He joined Parma in Serie A. The Gialloblu finished 10th under Francesco Guidolin. Jimenez played 12 league games with 1 goal (winner in 3-2 away win in Naples). He played alongside Hernan Crespo, approaching the end of his career.
In the summer of 2010, he joined Cesena in Serie A. The Bianconeri finished 15th under manager Massimo Ficcadenti. Jimenez played 31 league games with 9 goals (Juventus, Cagliari, Brescia, Catania, Chievo, Juventus, Fiorentina, Cagliari, Genoa) plus 1 game in Coppa Italia. His teammates included, future Lazio, Marco Parolo (2014-21).
Despite or because of this good goal scoring year, in 2011 he joined Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates. He stayed four seasons, playing 124 games with 51 goals. He won 1 league title, 2 Emirates Cups, 1 President's Cup and 2 Super Cups.
In 2015 he stayed in the Emirates but played for Al-Nasr. He played 37 games with 9 goals.
In 2016 he moved to Doha in Qatar and played for Al -Arabi. He played 22 games with 10 goals.
In 2017 until January 2018, he played for Al Gharafa in Qatar. He played 18 games with 6 goals.
In January 2018 until June he played for Qatar SC, playing 8 games.
In August 2018 until July 2019, he returned to his first club Palestino in Chile. He played 37 games with 8 goals and won a Chilean Cup.
In August 2019 he joined Al-Ittihăd in Saudi Arabia but only lasted two months, playing 6 games with 1 goal.
In 2020 he went back to Palestino again. He played another 74 games with 26 goals.
In August 2022 he joined his last club, Magallanes in the Chilean second tier. He played 7 games with 1 goal.
At 36 he then retired.
He won 33 caps for Chile and scored 3 goals (Bolivia, Venezuela x2). He took part in two Copa Americas.
Jimenez was an attacking midfielder, a number 10 but he could also play as a forward. He was an extremely skilful and talented player but inconsistent. He was known as the "Mago" (The Magician, just like Luis Alberto is nowadays). He never stayed with one team for very long apart from Ternana at the beginning of his career and then Al- Ahli. His peak in prestige was with Inter but probably his best season was with Cesena.
At Lazio he showed flashes of his abilities and helped Lazio qualify for the Champions League with an excellent 3rd place.
Lazio Career
Season | Total Appearances Serie A (goals) |
2006-07 | 16 (2) |
Sources
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