The difference between Roma and Lazio is a wide chasm, which gapes as far now as it has for many years. For fans of the Giallorossi, this is fabulous news, as they are top dogs in the capital.
For the Biancocelesti, it must be phenomenally painful; having been on the up, their Coppa Italia win of 2013 must seem nothing more than a false idol, built in a sand that has been swept away by the new broom of Rudi Garcia.
The Coppa Italia triumph followed two seasons where Lazio finished above their rivals – though they ended a place lower that campaign – the first time that had happened since 2000, so Laziale had reason to think their team was getting one over their eternal rivals.
The benefit of hindsight tells us otherwise, and Roma’s resurgence was swift and clinical.
What’s more, Roma have busied themselves this summer signing players of the highest quality – Ashley Cole from Chelsea, Juan Iturbe from Hellas Verona and Davide Astori from Cagliari. While the first two would have desirable additions for Lazio, their inability to offer Champions League football would preclude them from that level of transfer, the capture of Astori is a real thumbing of the nose in their direction.
Following Luis Enrique’s disappointing tenure, the second Zdenek Zeman era and then the spell under Aurelio Andreazzoli, Roma were floundering – each summer brought a new direction, each winter just the crushing confirmation that it was a dead end.
Lazio, meanwhile, while not posing a threat at the very top of Serie A, seemed to be on the rise gradually and, when the two met for what was the first time in a Coppa Italia final, not only was it no surprise to see Lazio emerge victorious, but it remained difficult to see how Roma would be able to come back from the disappointment.
Lazio feasted on the disappointment of their rivals in the aftermath of the Coppa Italia, so much so that, by the time of the first league meeting Roma had breezed away from them with such ease that the game resembled nothing more than a routine victory.
It is a less-noted aspect of inter-club rivalry, that the team that has the less to fight for overall tends to take more joy in getting one over on their rivals – imagine the delight Torino will enjoy should they finally triumph over Juventus; the Bianconeri will no doubt wince, but barely break stride.
No longer able to keep pace on the field (or even off it – the current turbulence at Lazio meaning that season tickets sales are low) the pursuit of Davide Astori was one area that the Biancocelesti looked set to see off the challenge from across Rome.
Yet, for reasons that may never become completely public, Astori passed through their hands like smoke – be it Cagliari’s choice not to do business with them, or Roma’s late gazumping – another slap in the face to Laziale, who must be getting used to finding themselves cast rather in the George Wickham role to Roma’s Mr. Darcy, eliciting far more Prejudice than Pride.
Being outflanked by one another so comprehensively is rare in Roman football. Neither Lazio nor Roma have glittering histories, both enjoying sporadic periods of success, but never being able to sustain it. Roma’s best periods, in the mid-1980s and early 2000s, brought one Scudetto each, as well as a succession of 2nd place finishes, indeed, the Giallorossi have been Serie A’s bridesmaids twelve times.
Lazio’s two titles in the 1970s and 2000 were flanked with strong finishes, but both sides have underachieved outside these periods. After the second world war, Roma racked up only one top two finish before 1980, while Lazio have endured a few spells outside the top flight.
The Giallorossi have only had one ‘good’ season in this spell, yet under Garcia, look bound for more. That’s a little misleading, as the Lupi have been second or better in eight of the last fourteen season – which is quite a run of form. Now in a time of austerity, their Champions League qualification may well enable them to stay ahead of both Milanese clubs who would
previously be snapping at the heels of any team as dominant as Juventus have been.
In doing so, they will leave Lazio well behind, giving Stefano Pioli a thankless task. The newly installed Aquile coach comes into a team in desperate need of a boost. He is an intelligent man, and successfully guided a far worse Bologna side to something resembling success for them – evidenced by how they imploded after his departure.
With the additions of Dusan Basta, Stefan de Vrij and Filip Djordjevic, Pioli will find a playing staff boosted after depleted by sales over recents seasons; he is a talented organiser of players.
What he is not, though, is a revolutionary like Rudi Garcia; Laziale cannot expect such a dramatic improvement as Roma enjoyed. They may well be set for a few years of envious glances across the Stadio Olimpico.
