SS Lazio

Founding and Early Years

Società Sportiva Lazio was founded on 9 January 1900 by Luigi Bigiarelli and a group of friends, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Italy, predating local rivals AS Roma by 27 years. The club adopted sky blue in reference to the Olympic rings, asserting a multidisciplinary sporting identity from the outset.

Club Evolution

Lazio play at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, shared with AS Roma since 1953. Long regarded as the club of the Roman bourgeoisie in contrast to the more working-class Roma, Lazio enjoyed their golden age in the late 1990s under president Sergio Cragnotti.

Great Managers

Sven-Göran Eriksson led Lazio to the Scudetto-Coppa Italia double in 1999-2000, the peak of a heavily-recruited squad. Dino Zoff had earlier delivered the club's first European Cup Winners' Cup in 1998-99. Maurizio Sarri more recently returned the club to the Champions League.

Iconic Players

Alessandro Nesta, a defender who came through the club's academy, became one of its symbols before joining AC Milan. Giuseppe Signori defined the 1990s with his goalscoring instincts, while Pavel Nedvěd, the 2003 Ballon d'Or winner, illuminated the biancocelesti midfield before his transfer to Juventus.

Major Achievements

Lazio have won two Scudetti (1973-74, 1999-2000), seven Coppa Italia titles, six Supercoppa Italiana, as well as a European Cup Winners' Cup (1998-99) and a UEFA Super Cup (1999).

The Club Today

Led by Gennaro Gattuso and chaired by Claudio Lotito since 2004, Lazio remain a regular presence on the European stage and one of the historic pillars of Roman football.