August 20, 2006: Lazio Rende 4-0, Coppa Italia
- Simon Basten
- 10 hours ago
- 7 min read
Pandev and Rocchi Lead Lazio to a Comfortable Cup Victory
Pandev and Rocchi struck twice as Delio Rossi's side opened the 2006/07 season with a convincing victory, while teenage defender De Silvestri capped the night with a spectacular first senior goal.
The season so far
Despite a UEFA Cup qualification at the end of the previous season, Lazio were unable to play due to the infamous refereeing scandal known as Calciopoli. They had also been docked 3 points for this season. Initially the docking was of 11 points but during the course of the season it was reduced by 8.
In the summer, Lazio said goodbye to Fabio Liverani, Ousmane Dabo and Paolo Di Canio who had not renewed their contracts. The new arrivals were Cristian Ledesma (Lecce), Pasquale Foggia (Milan on loan), Massimo Mutarelli (free transfer), Stephen Makinwa (Palermo), Modibo Diakité (Pescara) and Tommaso Berni (Ternana, loan).
Lazio had played a number of pre-season friendlies, probably the most difficult was against Ipswich Town in the UK where they won 2-0.
Today was the first official game of the season, the first round of Coppa Italia against Rende.
The match: Sunday, August 20, 2006, Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Lazio began the 2006/07 season with a convincing 4-0 victory over Rende in the first round of the Coppa Italia, returning to the Stadio Flaminio for the first time in 16 years.
There was a sense of a new beginning around the Biancocelesti. The previous season had ended in the chaos of Calciopoli, with Lazio facing a significant points deduction and the uncertainty that surrounded the club's future. Yet, as Delio Rossi's team walked onto the Flaminio pitch on 20 August, there was already evidence that the side was capable of putting the turmoil behind it.
Around 15,000 supporters were present to watch Lazio's first official match of the campaign, and they were rewarded with a comfortable victory.
The most encouraging signs came from the attack.
Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi immediately looked in excellent form, combining pace, movement and clinical finishing to cause constant problems for the Rende defence. The pair would eventually provide three of Lazio's four goals, while promising young defender Lorenzo De Silvestri completed the scoring with a spectacular strike.
The opening stages, however, were more competitive than the final score suggested.
Rende, a Serie C2 side, arrived determined to make life difficult for their more illustrious opponents and for around 20 minutes managed to hold their own. Lazio controlled possession but struggled to create clear opportunities as Rende defended with discipline.
Then Pandev changed the game.
In the 21st minute, the Macedonian forward collected the ball, drove through the middle and created space for himself just outside the penalty area. He finished the move with a precise low left-footed shot that found the corner of the net.
It was an individual goal that demonstrated exactly why Pandev was becoming such an important part of Lazio's attack.
The goal settled the Biancocelesti, and the second followed shortly afterwards.
In the 34th minute, Rocchi pounced on a disastrous defensive mistake. A misplaced back-pass left the Rende defence exposed, and the Lazio striker reacted instantly. He raced onto the loose ball before calmly lifting his finish beyond goalkeeper Rocco Pellegrino.
Lazio were 2-0 ahead, and the match was beginning to move decisively in their favour.
Rocchi had the opportunity to add another before half-time, but the Rende goalkeeper redeemed himself.
In the 36th minute, Pandev was brought down inside the penalty area after being played through on goal. The referee awarded a penalty and sent off Massimo Morelli for denying a clear scoring opportunity. Rocchi stepped forward to take the spot-kick. His effort, however, was saved by Pellegrino.
The missed penalty did little to change the overall picture. Rende were down to ten men, and Lazio had established complete control.
At half-time, Rossi's side had a two-goal advantage and a numerical superiority.
The second half became increasingly one-sided.
Lazio continued to attack, although the players occasionally lacked the sharpness required to convert their opportunities. The hosts were already creating enough chances to extend their lead, but Rende goalkeeper Pellegrino remained busy.
Rocchi eventually found his second goal of the evening in the 57th minute.
The striker reacted quickly to a short rebound from the Rende goalkeeper and finished from close range. Having missed from the penalty spot earlier, Rocchi made no mistake this time.
His second goal completed an impressive individual performance and demonstrated the instincts that had made him one of Lazio's most reliable forwards.
Rossi then introduced Lorenzo De Silvestri, an 18-year-old defender who had emerged as one of the club's most promising young players.
The teenager immediately made an impression.
In the 67th minute, De Silvestri collected the ball and embarked on an adventurous run before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.
The strike was unstoppable.
It was a superb goal from the young defender and an appropriate way to complete the scoring. De Silvestri's performance was one of the highlights of the evening, offering Lazio supporters a glimpse of a player who could have an important future at the club.
The final 4-0 scoreline was emphatic, but the match also provided Rossi with several other reasons for optimism.
The new midfield partnership of Cristian Ledesma and Massimo Mutarelli performed encouragingly. Ledesma, still perhaps lacking some physical sharpness, nevertheless showed the personality required to take control of the midfield and dictate the tempo of the game.
After all the uncertainty of the summer, the message from the Flaminio was simple. Lazio were ready to move forward.
Who played for Lazio
Ballotta, Zauri, Cribari, Stendardo, Siviglia (59' De Silvestri), Mauri, Ledesma (74' Mudingayi), Mutarelli, Belleri, Pandev (69' Tare), Rocchi
Manager: D.Rossi
Who played for Rende
Pellegrino, Morelli, Caruso, David, Criniti (57' Novelli), Catalano, Benincasa (71' Bernardi), Fabio, Riolo, Piemontese (69' Covelli), Occhiuzzi
Substitutes: Galeano, Bacilieri, Chianello, Petrucci
Manager: Silipo - Aceto on the bench
Referee: Ayroldi
Goals: 21’ Pandev, 34’ Rocchi, 57’ Rocchi, 67’ De Silvestri
What happened next
In Coppa Italia in the second round Lazio had drawn at Monza 1-1 but won on penalties, in the third they had lost to Messina 4-3 in extra time.
By the end of the first half of the season the Biancocelesti were 4th. In the winter transfer window, the club sold captain Massimo Oddo to Milan and loaned Pasquale Foggia to Reggina. In came Chilean midfielder Luis Jimenez on loan from Ternana.
Between mid-February and mid-April Lazio won eight consecutive games taking them from fifth place to third with an 8-point lead over fourth. This meant that not only did Lazio have a good chance of playing in Europe the following season, but it could even be in the Champions League. The Biancocelesti managed to qualify for the preliminary round of the top tier European football with two matches to go despite losing 4-3 against Inter. Lazio finished third ahead of Milan and behind Inter and Roma. They certainly took advantage of Milan’s 8-point deficit due to Calciopoli and Juventus having previously been relegated to Serie B, but for such a young, inexperienced team such as Lazio in 2006-07 this was an incredible feat.
Lazio ended up with 18 wins, 11 draws and 9 losses. Rocchi was the leading scorer with 16 goals and also one of the three who played most together with Pandev and Luciano Zauri (36 appearances).
Jersey 2006-07
Image Sources: Football Kit Archive
The 2006/07 Lazio shirt was one of the most technologically advanced jerseys in the club's history at the time, combining a traditional Lazio colour palette with an innovative lightweight fabric designed specifically for the demands of modern football.
The home shirt was predominantly a very pale shade of celeste, considerably lighter than many of the traditional colours used by Lazio over the years. The colour gave the jersey an almost white appearance under certain lighting conditions, making it one of the most distinctive shades of celeste to have appeared in the club's history.
The shirt was produced using an innovative anti-tear fabric developed in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University. The material was designed to be exceptionally lightweight while also offering a high degree of resistance to tearing. The intention was to create a shirt that would remain comfortable and durable regardless of weather conditions or the physical demands of a competitive match.
The result was an unusually light jersey, reflecting the growing importance of technical fabrics in football kit design during the first decade of the 21st century.
The design itself was relatively understated.
The body of the shirt was dominated by the pale celeste colour, while contrasting details provided definition around the neck and sleeves. The Lazio badge was positioned on the left side of the chest, with the technical manufacturer's logo on the opposite side. The club's principal sponsor appeared prominently across the centre of the shirt.
The overall design was clean and modern, without the elaborate patterns that had begun appearing on many football shirts during the period. Its visual identity relied primarily on the shade of celeste and the unusual texture and lightness of the fabric.
The away shirt followed the same basic design philosophy but offered a striking contrast to the home version.
It was predominantly white, with navy blue details providing the main contrast. The combination gave the shirt a more traditional appearance while retaining the same modern, lightweight construction as the first-choice jersey.
The white shirt was worn when Lazio needed an alternative to the pale celeste home kit and became particularly associated with several of the club's away fixtures during the season.
The goalkeeper's shirt was considerably more distinctive.
The shirt featured a predominantly green body, with grey detailing incorporated into the design, particularly around the shoulders and upper part of the jersey.
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