Lazio defeated Napoli in a playoff for Champions League football next season. The high-flying Sky Blues surprisingly took all three points at the Stadio San Paolo at the end of May to topple Rafael Benitez’s Napoli side with the campaign coming to a close. Celebrations understandably ensued as it’s been seven years since Lazio were in the prestigious European competition, and now next season can’t come soon enough for them.
The Champions League will provide a lucrative financial incentive, and can lure players for Lazio to sign this summer. The club could well undergo a considerable transformation in the coming months to return to their former glory. For too long, the Eagles were falling short in the Italian Serie A, which meant they’d miss out on Champions League participation, but this campaign has seen a turnaround in fortunes.
Manager Stefano Polli has enjoyed a dream debut season in charge, and has gotten the best form from the most experienced players in the team. Veteran forwards Miroslav Klose (aged 36) and Stefano Mauri (35) scored 23 league goals between them, while midfielders Antonio Candreva and Marco Parolo shared 20 goals in the division.
But Polli has also worked hard in getting the best from the younger talents too, evident from the 10 goals scored and seven assists made by Brazilian midfielder Felipe Anderson. The Lazio boss still has plenty of work to do this summer in recruitment, as the Serie A side are an ageing team in need of fresh blood to handle the demands of European football.
The last time Lazio were in the Champions League was in 2007/08. They failed to make it past a group featuring Olympiakos, Real Madrid, and Werder Bremen, and have since only sporadically played in the Europa League. This season has seen them amass their best points tally in 15 years, and now they are looking ahead to the following campaign.
Lazio’s still have to qualify for the Champions League group stages, but they should have enough to see past any opponent they come up against. Manchester United would be the hardest opposition the Italians could face, but the rest of the competition should pose a threat. Supporters can dare reminisce back to the glory days of the early 2000s when they were a strong side in their domestic league and Europe, and next season may be the beginning of a resurgence.
Lazio have won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1998/99) and UEFA Super Cup (1999), but they will be eyeing more prestigious European honours if they can restore their reputation in the competition.
