February 4, 2001: Lazio Lecce 3-2
- Simon Basten
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Still six points behind
Lazio win but cannot reduce the distance from the top
The season so far
The previous season Lazio won their second scudetto in dramatic circumstances. In the final game of the season Juventus had a two-point lead over the Biancocelesti. While Lazio had finished their match at the Olimpico beating Reggina 3-0, between the first and second half of Perugia-Juventus there was a massive storm that waterlogged the pitch. The second half started an hour later than it should have. Perugia scored with Alessandro Calori and Juve were unable to turn the game around. Lazio had won!!!
In the summer transfer window, President Sergio Cragnotti had decided that Lazio needed a strong centre-forward and a more reliable goalkeeper. In came Hernan Crespo (Parma), one of the best forwards in the world, and Angelo Peruzzi (Inter), one of the best goalkeepers. Other signings included forward Claudio Lopez (Valencia), midfielder Dino Baggio (Parma) and the return of Roberto Baronio from his loan at Reggina. Also bought were midfielders Stefano Fiore and Giuliano Giannichedda from Udinese but they were left to the Bianconeri on loan for an extra year. Leaving Lazio were Alen Boksic (Middlesbrough), Dario Marcolin (Sampdoria), Gianpiero Pinzi (Udinese), Marco Ballotta (Inter), Matias Almeyda and Sergio Conceição to Parma as partial payment for Crespo.
The problem was that Lazio had been unable to sign a right-winger. Lazio had tried to get Boudewijn Zenden from Barcelona but had failed.
The season was going to be a strange one since, due to the Olympic Games in Sydney, the Italian Federation decided to start the Campionato on October 1. However, Champions League would be played in September all the same so the Italian teams involved in the European competitions would play with few games in their legs. Not ideal.
After winning the Supercoppa against Inter in September, Lazio did not start too well in the campionato and by the end of the year were fourth with 21 points, way off Roma who were leading the Serie A eight points ahead. There had been a lot of problems. This first issue was that Sven-Goran Eriksson had signed a contract with the English FA to manage England starting from the summer of 2001. This meant that it was going to be his last year with Lazio. This created a negative psychological situation in the team, uncertain of what would happen in the future. Secondly, Crespo got injured early on and he was taking time to get back into form. Thirdly, the team was badly missing a right-winger since Attilio Lombardo was past his prime and Dejan Stankovic was fulfilling the task but rather reluctantly. Fourthly, Claudio Lopez, Lazio’s star summer signing, also got injured early on in the season and would be out for a lengthy period.
There was still optimism but in the first game of the new year Lazio lost at home and Eriksson, realising that he might be the problem, resigned. The Biancocelesti were 11 points away from Roma who led the table. The team was handed to Dino Zoff. In January Lazio finally bought Karel Poborsky and Lucas Castroman to fill the void created by selling Conceição.
The team picked up winning first at Udine then at home against Inter and a week prior to this match they won 4-1 in Florence. They were now six points behind.
The match: Sunday, February 4, 2001, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio started well and in the 8th minute had a chance with Hernan Crespo on a Beppe Pancaro cross, but his header went over the crossbar. On the cross Marcelo Salas was thrown to the ground by Teixera Juarez but the referee was not impressed. It was followed by a big whack from outside the box by Pavel Nedved, but Antonio Chimenti parried into corner. Lazio continued to attack and had a number of half chances with Crespo, Salas and Juan Sebastian Veron, but the goal arrived just three minutes from the end of the first half. Veron passed a low ball into the box to Crespo. The Argentine International, despite being pressed by a defender, turned around and beat Chimenti for Lazio’s 1-0.
The Biancocelesti came out for the second 45 minutes still digesting their hot tea and Lecce equalised. In the 51st minute David Balleri with a throw in for Klas Ingessson who headed towards the box. Cristiano Lucarelli anticipated Angelo Peruzzi and Paolo Negro with a lob, Alessandro Conticchio on the line then headed it in for the 1-1.
Lazio put their foot on the accelerator. In the 56th minute free kick from the right, Veron crossed into the box and Crespo headed the ball onto the crossbar. Shortly after, from a difficult angled position, he hit the woodwork again. Finally, in the 65th minute Crespo managed to score after a Pancaro low cross from the left, anticipating the Lecce defence.
The Apulians almost managed to equalise again with a William Viali header, but Karel Poborsky saved on the line. At this point Veron decided to close the match with a thundering shot in the 75th minute taking Lazio to 3-1.
Referee Boriello decided to re-open the game four minutes later giving an absurd penalty after Davor Vugrinec dived into Fernando Couto. Lucarelli scored from the spot kick. But apart for an improbable penalty claim for Lecce in the final minutes, the game was over.
Lazio still six points behind Roma.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Negro (86' Favalli), Nesta, Couto, Pancaro, Poborsky (78' Simeone), Veron, D.Baggio, Nedved, Salas, Crespo
Substitutes: Marchegiani, Mihajlovic, Baronio, S.Inzaghi, Ravanelli
Manager: Zoff
Who played for Lecce
Chimenti, Juarez, Viali, Savino, Balleri (63' Piangerelli), Giorgetti, Ingesson, Conticchio, Tonetto, Vasari (53' Vugrinec), Lucarelli
Substitutes: Manitta, Colonnello, Malusci, Matteo, Osorio
Manager: Cavasin
Referee: Boriello
Goals: 41' Crespo, 51' Conticchio, 65' Crespo, 75' Veron, 79' Lucarelli (pen)
What happened next
With three games to go Lazio were second but five points behind Roma. The Giallorossi were tiring but Lazio threw away a game against Inter where they had 100 chances to score their second goal but the Nerazzurri then equalised in injury time. If Lazio had won they would have been only three points behind.
Coming into the final game, Roma were top, Juventus two points behind and Lazio three. In the last game Roma had to face Parma who decided not to play and allowed the Giallorossi to win their third scudetto. At that point the Biancocelesti, who were winning at Lecce, threw in the towel and lost the game.
Pavel Nedved was the player with most appearances (46) and Crespo the leading goal scorer (28). The Argentine was also the leading Serie A goal scorer with 26 goals.
Let’s talk about Hernan Crespo
Hernan Crespo was potentially one of the best centre forwards Lazio has ever had. Powerful, acrobatic, fast, he had a lot to offer but in my humble opinion came up short in his time at Lazio.
Born in Florida, Argentina on July 5, 1975, he started his career in the youth teams of River Plate. He turned professional with the Argentine team and played until 1996, winning two Apertura titles. He was nicknamed "valdanito" after legendary Argentine striker Jorge Valdano (for their similar looks and goal scoring abilities).
In the summer of 1996 he moved to Parma where he stayed for four years proving all of his potential. By 2000 he and Gabrel Batistuta were considered two of the best centre forwards in the world. The latter would go on to play the last couple of years of his career with the other team from Rome, whereas Sergio Cragnotti, following Lazio’s scudetto, would spend an enormous amount of money to get Crespo: €55 million (which included cash plus Matias Almeyda and Sergio Conceicao) which just for a few days was the record signing of all time in world football, until Luis Figo joined Real Madrid.
His first official match was the Supercoppa Final against Inter. He did not score but the attacking duo Claudio Lopez-Crespo looked devastating and Lazio triumphed 4-3, winning the cup.
The first year was a good one, in the end. He did not perform well under Sven Goran Eriksson and an injury certainly did not help. Even while off form, he was still able to create goal scoring chances but missed most of them. When he was in form however, he was devastating. As soon as Dino Zoff started managing the team, Crespo started to score regularly and he was one of the main stars of the season. He would go on to win the Italian golden boot with 26 goals in 36 games.
As mentioned earlier, his second year was not so good, not only for him personally, but also for the team. Lazio struggled to find a decent game organisation and Crespo scored “only” 13 goals.
The return of Roberto Mancini, this time as manager, created lots of hopes in the Lazio fans for the 2002-03 season. But Sergio Cragnotti was having considerable financial difficulties and someone had to be sold. The first player everybody had their eyes on was obviously Alessandro Nesta. Cragnotti hoped that Milan, Inter and Juventus would fight to the end to get the greatest defender of all time and that consequently the price would be really high. Instead there was a secret pact between them to get the player for a much lower price than his real value. All three clubs waited until the very last moments of the transfer window to force Lazio to agree on a low price. Milan clinched the deal and Cragnotti was forced to accept just €31 million. At this point a second player had to go and that would be Hernan Crespo who was sold to Inter for €36 million to replace Ronaldo who had moved on to Real Madrid.
He made a good contribution to Inter, especially in Champions League, and Chelsea set his eyes on him. His move to the UK was not a positive one due to continuous injuries. In 2004 he moved to AC Milan on loan where he performed well and his legacy there could have been even better had Milan held on to the 3-0 lead, with two of his goals, against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Back at Chelsea in 2005, he then returned to Inter for three years in 2006. His final years were with Genoa and Parma.
During his career he won a number of trophies; three scudettos with Inter, a premier league with Chelsea, two Apertura’s with River Plate, 5 Italian Supercoppa's (two with Inter and one each with Lazio, Parma and Milan), a Charity Shield with Chelsea and a Copa Libertadores with River Plate.
He played 73 games for Lazio: 54 in Serie A (39 goals), 5 in Coppa Italia (4 goals), 13 in Champions League (5 goals) and one Supercoppa Final.
He was a very important player for the national team and played for Argentina in three World Cups: 1998, 2002 (scoring one goal against Sweden) and 2006 (three goals). He also played in the 2007 Copa America. He played a total of 64 games for his country and scored 34 goals. He also won a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games of 1996.
Once he stopped playing he became a qmanager. He started with the Parma Primavera in 2014 and a year later was head coach for Modena in Serie B. With the team fifth from bottom he was sacked in March 2016 and substituted by Cristiano Bergodi who was unable to avoid relegation.
In December 2018 he became manager at Banfield but was sacked a year later. In January 2020 he signed for Defensa y Justicia but again lasted just a year. After a year at San Paolo where he won a Campeonato Paulista, in 2022 he became head coach for Al-Duhail in Qatar where in his first season he won the treble, league, national cup and super cup, but in the beginning of his second he was sacked in October. A month later he became head coach for Al-Ain in the UAE. The club arrived third in the league and won the AFC Champions League. He was sacked in his second season. In June 2025 he went back to San Paolo.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League | Super Coppa |
2000-01 | 40 (28) | 32 (26) | 1 | 6 (2) | 1 |
2001-02 | 33 (20) | 22 (13) | 4 (4) | 7 (3) | - |
Totals | 73 (48) | 54 (39) | 5 (4) | 13 (5) | 1 |
Sources
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