Hopes were high for a good campaign as the 2013/14 season kicked off, following a successful first year for Vladimir Petkovic in which the Bosnian won the Coppa Italia, qualified for Europe and took his side to the Europa League quarter-finals. However, Petkovic and his players soon fell from grace in a forgettable season for the Biancoceleste.
A 4-0 drubbing against Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana ensured that the capital club did not pick up some early season silverware and set alarm bells ringing over some glaring defensive flaws. Things did not get much better for Petkovic and his side as they finished the calendar year of 2013 with only one away win, against Inter at the end of the 2012/13 season. This miserable run, along with the Bosnian coach accepting to take over the reins of the Swiss national team following the World Cup, resulted in club and coach parting ways.
January was a tumultuous month. Club icon Hernanes was sold to direct domestic rivals Inter and in his place the uninspiring duo of Gael Kakuta and Helder Postiga arrived. The fans were justifiably furious and stepped up their protests against Claudio Lotito’s ownership of the club. The ‘Libera la Lazio’ protests involved 45,000 fans filling the stadium to hold up banners and sing chants telling the owner to leave, before the stadium was abandoned almost entirely in a show of strength from the Ultras two weeks later.
Edy Reja returned to the club he coached for two and a half years in this tense atmosphere. The tactician managed to turn around the club’s fortunes on the road, winning five of his nine away matches, but failed to bring consistently strong performances out of his team. The Aquile crashed out of the Europa League unceremoniously to Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets Razgrad, before being dumped out of the Coppa Italia they were attempting to defend at the quarter-final stage.
There was not even a derby win to brighten up a bleak season for the blue side of Rome and a ninth place Serie A finish was their lowest placing in four years. With Miroslav Klose’s injury problems and age causing problems in attack and twelve different central defensive combinations being used in a single campaign, it is clear what areas need to be strengthened. One bright spark was the emergence of teenage winger Keita Balde Diao, who set Serie A alight with some fantastic goals and trickery. The Barcelona youth product looks set to have a bright future ahead of him and offers a real cause of optimism to the Lazio faithful.
Lotito is under more pressure now than ever before to bring in some notable players over the summer as the supporters will not settle for anything less. The ongoing struggle between fans and owner certainly had an effect on the performances on the pitch, with attendances dropping enormously following the Ultras’ decision to leave the Curva Nord empty in February. An edgy summer awaits.
Player of the Season
Antonio Candreva has enjoyed a fantastic season despite the troubled and unpredictable form of the players around him. The Italian international has been exceptional, particularly towards the end of the season in which he netted five goals in the final eight games and booked his seat on the plane to Brazil.
He has become a mainstay of this Lazio side, making 37 appearances this season, seven more than the next most regular performer Senad Lulic. A great season for his club followed by a World Cup adventure could easily put the 27 year-old in the shop window and Juventus are rumoured to be interested in tabling a bid.
After the sale of Hernanes in January, Claudio Lotito must ensure he keeps hold of his prize asset if he wishes to avoid enraging the Lazio faithful further.
Goal of the Season
Keita Balde vs Napoli. Possibly the moment the young Spaniard truly captured the attention of the global football audience. In a moment of extraordinary speed of thought and quick footwork, the youngster held off one challenge before dancing around four Napoli defenders into the box and firing home past the awestruck Pepe Reina. Sensational.
Best and Worst Signings
Best – Lucas Biglia. The Argentine international took a bit of time to settle in the capital, but his central midfield partnership with Cristian Ledesma has looked very promising at times throughout the season.
Biglia has proved to be a useful addition to the side, slowly but surely cementing his place as a critical cog in the machine. His last-minute penalty against Bologna saw Lazio finish the season with a victory, but the midfielder spoke of hitting the shot with ‘anger’ over the club’s failure to achieve European qualification.
In a difficult campaign, he has shown quality and laid a strong foundation to build upon next season.
Worst – Plenty of nominees here and for many the error-prone Diego Novaretti or invisible Gael Kakuta would be a shoe-in. However, it has to be Helder Postiga.
The much-maligned search for a ‘vice-Klose’ has been at the centre of Lazio’s transfer dealings for at least three windows and it was hoped that the arrival of Portuguese international Postiga would deliver some experience and goals to the team.
But, the 31 year-old spent almost his entire loan spell on the treatment table and only managed one starting appearance in his short time at the club.
Follow Alasdair Mackenzie on Twitter: @olimpiacalcio
