Lazio denied win by rocking Keirrison
A Siviglia beauty is not enough as young Brazilian equalises in injury time
Also on this day: February 27, 2005, Lazio Parma 2-0. Lazio continued their good form with a third consecutive victory, but it was by no means easy. Players of the day: The Filippini Brothers
The season so far
The previous season had been Delio Rossi's last and ended on a triumphal note winning the Coppa Italia.
This year Lazio had chosen Davide Ballardini as their new manager. With the change in the dug out there came several changes to the squad. In the summer Lazio had brought in goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri, defender and future Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni (Mallorca-back from loan), midfielders Roberto Baronio (Brescia- back from loan), Eliseu (Malaga) and Fabio Firmani (Al-Waslp-back from loan) plus striker Julio Cruz (Inter). So not a memorable incoming player market.
In the summer obviously some players had also left. Hugely disappointing goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo (who had been welcomed as the new messiah) went to Zaragozza on loan and David Rozehnal was sold to SV Hamburger. Homegrown talent and Lazio fan, Lorenzo De Silvestri went to Fiorentina while versatile Luciano Zauri and striker Libor Kozak were loaned to Sampdoria and Brescia.
Goran Pandev and Christian Ledesma were out of favour and excluded from the squad over contractual issues.
Lazio's season had started in a dreamlike fashion. On August 8 in Beijing, the Biancocelesti had defeated José Mourinho's, soon "triplete" winning, Inter 2-1 to lift the Italian Supercoppa for the third time. Goals by Francelino Matuzalém and Tommaso Rocchi sank the seemingly invincible Nerazzurri.
Lazio began the league with the enthusiasm of having won silverware but realistically did not expect any more miracles from the season.
No miracles but neither for things to be going as badly as they were. Lazio had started well winning the first two games of the season but then things went downhill. Their next win came in the 16th fixture, a 1-0 home win against Genoa. More defeats followed and only one win before Ballardini was finally sacked after a 0-1 home defeat to Catania on February 7. Lazio were 18th, on 22 points and in the Serie B zone.
In came Edy Reja and Lazio had won their first match 2-0 away at Parma and Christian Ledesma was put back in the squad. A week before today's match however, Lazio had lost 1-3 away at Palermo. The situation was still worrying, Lazio were 16th only two points above Livorno who were 18th and in the last relegation slot.
A stressful season and Lazio needed points.
In the Europa League, Lazio had already been eliminated. They had won the playoff in August, 3-1 against Swedish Elfsborg but had then been eliminated in the group phase. The Biancocelesti won 2 (Levski Sofia 4-0 away and Villarreal 2-1 at home) and lost 4 (Salzburg 1-2 home and away, Villarreal 1-4 away and Levski Sofia 0-1 at home).
In the Coppa Italia Lazio had beaten Palermo 2-0 but then lost 2-3 away to today's opposition Fiorentina.
Fiorentina had finished 4th (Champions League) the previous season under Cesare Prandelli. Top scorer was Alberto Gilardino with 25 (19 in A).
This season Prandelli had obviously stayed on, with former Lazio captain Gabriele Pin (1986-92) as his assistant.
The Viola had made changes in the transfer market but no major ones. The main novelties were defenders Lorenzo De Silvestri (Lazio-1999-2009), Cesare Natali (Torino), midfielders Cristiano Zanetti and Marco Marchionni (both Juventus) plus forward José Ignacio Castillo (Lecce).
Leaving were defender Luciano Zauri (Lazio-end of loan), midfielders Sergio Almiron (Juventus-end of loan), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Franco Semioli (Sampdoria), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Stuttgart) plus forward Emiliano Bonazzoli (Sampdoria-end of loan).
In January defender Felipe (Udinese-on loan), midfielder Adem Ljajic (Partizan Belgrade) and young forward Kerrison (Barcelona-on loan) had also been added while midfielder Martin Jørgensen (Aarhus) and Castillo (Bari) had left.
So, plenty of comings and goings but the main block of the team had been maintained.
So far in Serie A the Viola were not repeating the previous year's performance. They were currently in 10th position, on 34 points and 6 off the last European slot.
They were however doing well in the Champions League. In August they had passed the preliminary round against Sporting Lisbon on away goals. Then in the first group phase the Florentines won 5 (Liverpool home and away, Debrecen home and away and Olympique Lyonnais at home) and only lost 1 (O.L away). In the last 16 they had played Bayern Munich away losing 1-2 and the return game in Florence would be on March 9. It was all still open.
In Coppa Italia, Fiorentina had got through two rounds (Chievo 3-2 and Lazio, both 3-2 at home). The Viola then played Inter in the semi-final and had just recently lost the first leg 0-1. The return leg in Florence would be on April 14.
Lazio were desperate for points while Fiorentina were in mid-table limbo but still had other objectives too.
The match: Saturday, February 27, 2005, Stadio Olimpico
The atmosphere was sad at the stadium with only 10,000 spectators due to the Lazio fans being on strike. Not a great atmosphere at the Olimpico for this evening kick-off.
Lazio were without defender André Dias and keeper Fernando Muslera but Fiorentina were much worse off and had Alberto Gilardino, Juan Manuel Vargas, Cesare Natali, Alessandro Gamberini and Mario Santana all out for various reasons.
Lazio were playing with four at the back for the first time under Reja and started off well. In the first minute Francelino Matuzalem had a low left footed strike saved into corner by Sebastian Frey.
After seven minutes the Biancocelesti took the lead. On a corner from the left Sebastiano Siviglia on the front post back heeled the ball and it went over the keeper and into the far top hand corner. A spectacular goal, not quite as good as Roberto Mancini's against Parma in 1999, but it came pretty close. Lazio 1 Fiorentina 0.
Fiorentina showed little reaction and Lazio controlled the game without any particular worries. La Viola's first shot towards goal came in the 34th minute when Marco Donadel tried a crack from outside the area but it went wide.
It was Lazio in the last minute who had a glorious chance to extend their lead. A perfect Matuzalem low through ball set up Stefano Mauri with only Frey to beat but the French keeper rushed off his line and saved while the Lazio player maybe should have lifted the ball. Half time, Lazio 1 Fiorentina 0.
For the second period Prandelli replaced Ljajic with young Brazilian Keirisson.
Fiorentina in the second half showed more fighting spirit and Lazio were on the defensive. In the 56th minute Donadel again tried his luck from even further out but his powerful central effort went over the bar.
In the 63rd minute the visitors went closer. From a Marco Marchionni corner from the right Lorenzo De Silvestri got a header in but Tommaso Berni dived low to his left and saved and then the ball was cleared into corner.
Fiorentina insisted and in the 70th minute Stevan Jovetic, approaching the left vertex of the area, belted a right foot heading for under the crossbar but again Berni did well to save into corner.
In the 78th minute Senegalese striker Babacar, who had replaced Mario Bolatti in the 58th minute, headed over the bar from a corner after Berni had misjudged his timing for the catch.
Some controversy came in the 87th minute. Marchionni, who had already been booked, intentionally hacked down Thomas Hitzlsperger just outside the box but the referee let him off without a second booking. He was less lenient with Lazio manager Edy Reja who was sent off for protesting against the decision.
Lazio held on but just when it seemed they were about to obtain three crucial points Fiorentina equalised. In the second minute of additional time a Massimo Gobbi cross from the left was flicked on by Jovetic, in the crowded area Marchionni obstructed Siviglia and the ball somehow bounced loose to Keirisson who had the simple task of slotting the ball in. Lazio 1 Fiorentina 1.
It was cruel for Lazio who had begun to savour an important win but not undeserved for Fiorentina who had played better in the second half.
Lazio's situation was not looking great but had improved slightly. Catania beat Bari 4-0 and overtook the Biancocelesti but fortunately both Livorno and Atalanta had lost so now Lazio had a three-point cushion between themselves and the last dreaded relegation slot. The table read Siena 20, Atalanta 21 Livorno 23, Lazio 26, Catania 27, Udinese 27. Some tense weeks and months lay ahead.
Who played for Lazio
Berni, Lichtsteiner, Stendardo, Siviglia (78' Biava), Kolarov, Brocchi (71' Firmani), Ledesma, Matuzalem, Mauri (59' Hitzlsperger), Rocchi, Floccari
Manager: Reja
Who played for Fiorentina
Frey, De Silvestri, Felipe, Kroldrup, Gobbi, Donadel (65' C. Zanetti), Bolatti (58' Babacar), Montolivo, Marchionni, Ljajic (46' Keirisson), Jovetic
Substitutes: Avramov, Comotto, Pasqual, Carraro
Manager: Prandelli
Referee: Romeo
Goals: 7' Siviglia, 92' Keirisson
What happened next
Lazio managed to avoid relegation and finished 12th. Lazio lost the next two but then beat Cagliari away and Siena at home, drew away to Milan, at home to Napoli and then beat Bologna away giving themselves some breathing space. More defeats followed but wins against Genoa and Livorno away and Udinese at home ultimately gave Lazio a respectable position.
More good news came from city rivals Roma throwing away the Scudetto. The Giallorossi were top with four games to go but then lost 1-2 at home to Sampdoria and were overtaken by Inter. A huge relief for Lazio fans who famously lifted the banner "Oh noooo…" when Inter scored and beat Lazio a week later (by then Lazio were virtually safe).
Fiorentina finished 11th. A week later they lost 1-2 at home to Juventus but then surprisingly beat Napoli 3-1 away. The Viola then won another 2, drew 3 and lost 5. A mediocre season in the league for the Florentines. Top scorer was Alberto Gilardino with 18 (15 in A).
Keirrison (a mix in honour of Keith Richards and Jim Morrison) would only score one more goal for Fiorentina and have a disappointing career.
In the Champions League the Viola were unlucky. They beat Bayern 3-2 in the return leg (after leading 2-0 and 3-1) and went out on away goals.
In Coppa Italia the Gigliati also lost the return leg 0-1 to Inter.
Inter won the Scudetto for the 18th time and also won the Coppa Italia beating Roma 1-0 in the final. Serie B was calling for Livorno, Siena and Atalanta.
Lazio 2009-10
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 39 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 4 |
Europa League | 8 | 3 | - | 5 | 12 |
Super Coppa | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
Total | 49 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 57 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Lichtsteiner | 43 | 33 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
Mauri | 43 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Muslera | 42 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Kolarov | 41 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Zarate | 41 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Rocchi | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Floccari | 9 | 8 | 1 | - | - |
Zarate | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | - |
Kolarov | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - |
Mauri | 4 | 3 | - | 1 | - |
Cruz | 4 | 3 | - | 1 | - |
Let's talk about Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger was born in Munich, on April 5, 1982.
He started his football with local small club VfB Forstinning before joining Bayern Munich’s youth team in 1989. He only stayed a year and then moved to England, to Aston Villa's youth set up.
In January 2001 he made his first team debut for the Villains from Birmingham in a game against Liverpool. This would be his only appearance.
In 2001-02 he was loaned to Chesterfield in the third tier but after only two months and 5 league games he was called back to Aston Villa who had several players out injured.
At Villa the manager was John Gregory until January and then Graham Taylor. The Lions finished 8th.
In 2002-03, still under Taylor, Villa finished 16th.
In 2003-04 they had a new manager David O'Leary and finished 6th and also reached the League Cup semi-final.
In 2004-05 the Claret and Blue Army finished 10th.
In his five seasons with Villa, Hitzlsperger played 99 league games and scored 8 goals.
In 2005 he went back to Germany and signed for Stuttgart. He stayed five seasons. "Die Roten" (The Reds) finished 9th, 1st, 6th, 3rd and 6th. His managers were Giovanni Trapattoni and then Armin Veh in the first year, Veh in the second and third, Veh and then Markus Babbel in the fourth and Babbel and Christian Gross in his fifth which Hitzlsperger did not complete as he left in January.
He therefore won a historic 5th Bundesliga title for Stuttgart in 2007 (Hitzlsperger played 30 league games with 7 goals).
In his five years with "Die Schwaben" (The Swabians) he played 125 league games and scored 20 goals.
In January 2010 he arrived at Lazio but the Biancocelesti were struggling. They were 17
He moved to England and joined West Ham United. The manager was Avramov Grant and then Kevin Keegan for the last match. The hammers finished 20th and were relegated. Hitzlsperger played 11 league games and scored 2 goals.
In 2011 he returned to his homeland and signed for Wolfsburg. The manager was former Hamburger SV great, Felix Magath and "Die Wölfe" (The Wolves) finished 8th. Hitzlsperger played only 6 league games.
In 2012-13 he went back to England, specifically Merseyside and joined Everton. The Toffees had a good season under David Moyes and finished 6th. Hitzlsperger however did not play regularly, making 7 league appearances.
At this point at only 31 he retired.
He had a good international career. He played 21 games for Germany U21's with 3 goals and then 52 full German caps with 6 goals. He took part in the 2006 World Cup and in Euro 2008.
Hitzlsperger was a solid midfielder. At 1.83 and 75 kilos he was a physically strong and hardworking player. He was nicknamed "The Hammer" due to his powerful shot especially from long range. His best moments were with Aston Villa and especially with Stuttgart where he won a “Meistertitel".
At Lazio he arrived halfway through the season, when his career was taking a downward turn, and was not helped by Lazio being in the middle of a relegation battle.
Off the field he made the headlines in 2014 when he became one of the first German players to come out about his sexuality. A brave and much respected move and no doubt a lot more difficult than any football match he ever played.
Lazio Career
Season | Serie A appearances (goals) |
Jan-June 2010 | 6 (1) |
Sources
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