Top 11 1990s

Images from Wikipedia, SS Lazio and Lazio Wiki

The best decade in Lazio history saw some wonderful players in all positions. It is difficult to pick a top 11 so we have gone for quite a number of alternatives, because let’s face it, which centre forward does one go for? There were so many of quality that it is difficult to choose. And this is just one role!!!

In this decade we had two different formations: 4-4-2 with Dino Zoff and Sven-Goran Eriksson as well as the famous Zdenek Zeman 4-3-3. Some players may be more apt for the former than the latter and vice versa. But there are many that, whatever the module, need to be chosen.

Goalkeeper

There can be only one: Luca Marchegiani. He is the Lazio goalkeeper with the most appearances in their history: 338. He is also the most successful, having won a scudetto, the Coppa Italia twice, the Italian Supercoppa twice, a UEFA Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Super Cup. He arrived at Lazio in 1993 and lived through what we can call the golden age. In his first seven years of Lazio he was one of the best goalkeepers in Italy. He would save everything that could be stopped. He did not have the explosiveness and power of Angelo Peruzzi who could even save the impossible, but if it was within human reach, he got there. He did make the occasional mistake and there were always a couple of blunders each year, but “Il Conte” (The Count as he was called), was very reliable. After the Lazio scudetto, President Sergio Cragnotti had the opportunity of signing Peruzzi and Marchegiani became Lazio’s second keeper. Peruzzi was prone to injury so Lazio needed a goalkeeper that could step up and be an excellent replacement which he was for three seasons.

Defence

Paolo Negro arrived in 1993. Mainly a right-back, Eriksson used him also in the centre of the defence with Alessandro Nesta and Sinisa Mihajlovic. He had speed, was a good man marker, a general defensive allrounder and the best right back. In his 12 years at Lazio he played 377 games and scored 24 goals.

Alessandro Nesta was an incredible player, one of the best defenders in the history of football. He was nicknamed "La Tempesta Perfetta" (The Perfect Storm) as he was such a complete player. He was physically strong (1.87 for 80 kilos), athletic and fast. He had a great sense of position and was an impressive man-to-man marker, often using his anticipation skills to dispossess opponents, that failing he had his speed to fall back on. He was a superb tackler, specialising in the old sliding tackle, just like Pino Wilson. He could block the opposition but was also able to play from the back as a defensive playmaker. Combined with all these attributes he was elegant, a joy to watch. At Lazio he made a total of 261 appearances (3 goals) and was captain for 4 seasons, he won; 1 Scudetto, the Coppa Italia twice, the Italian Supercoppa twice,  1 UEFA Cup winners Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cup. A legend.

Source Lazio Wiki

Taken for granted that these two would play in any type of formation, we now have three alternatives to partner Nesta. In a 4-3-3 we must consider José Antonio Chamot. He was a great defender, fast, good sense of position, he could also play left back. He had a little bit of a temper and was a bit rough at times so he also totalled 8 red cards in the four years he was at Lazio. Having said this, he was often sent off for last man fouls.  In four seasons he made 131 appearances with 2 goals.

Sinisa Mihajlovic could only play in a 4-4-2. He arrived in 1998, a precise request from Eriksson who had invented him as a central defender with Sampdoria. He was strong, had a great sense of position and was able to read the game like no other. What he lacked in defensive abilities, he made up for by being a playmaker who built Lazio’s game from the back. And he was brilliant on set pieces scoring a lot and providing assists in even great quantities. His stay at Lazio was at times difficult. He was booed by the fans for a while and got an 8-match ban for having spat at Adrian Mutu (the Romanian has never been a friend of Lazio’s and is well known to be as pleasant as sand in your underpants). He however won the fans back and became immensely popular, fans rising to their feet every time he took a corner. He stayed six seasons with 193 appearances and 33 goals.

Giuseppe Favalli is second in Lazio history for number of appearances behind Stefan Radu. He was a left full-back although he could also play in the middle. He was 1.81 for 73 kilos. He was an extremely intelligent player tactically, possessed good technical skills and was athletic. He was a defender but gave a good contribution up front serving assists and crosses with his precise left foot. He was a hard but clean player. At Lazio, after the initial scepticism, he became a legend. He gradually won over the fans with his reliable, solid performances. Favalli was captain for three seasons and won 8 trophies in Rome, including an elusive Scudetto, definitely legendary material. 401 appearances and six goals in 12 years.

Midfield

The three midfielders for Zeman’s 4-3-3 should be the ones that gave Lazio second and third places, that is, Diego Fuser on the right, Roberto Di Matteo central, Aron Winter on the left.

Fuser played for Lazio from 1992 to 1998. He was an attacking midfielder and played mainly on the right wing but also in the centre. He was a strong, physical player with good athleticism. He would often cover great distances with his bursts from midfield sometimes even going end to end. He had good technique, a precise cross and was dangerous on set pieces. Perfect for Zeman and also perfect  in a 4-4-2. He made 242 appearances with 42 goals and was captain of the team that won the Coppa Italia in 1998.

Di Matteo arrived as a virtually unknown player in 1993. “I thought I wouldn't play more than 25 games”, he said. He came on in the first game of the season against Foggia and never left the team for three years making 115 appearances with seven goals. Similar to Cristian Ledesma but a better runner, he was another perfect player in a three-man midfield.

Winter was an elegant, classy player who had both quality and quantity. He was a central midfielder with excellent athleticism, intelligence and vision. Apart from his technique, he had a strong personality and was a model professional. He usually played left-sided central midfield, a box-to-box player confirmed by his high goal scoring rate for Lazio. He was also versatile and was deployed as full back and even centre-back for Holland. His years at Lazio are identified with their gradual rise as a domestic force, which would later culminate in winning several trophies. Winter was part of that build up and he gave Lazio an International identity and respect. He made 156 appearances with 26 goals playing from 1992 to 1996.

If we consider a four-man midfield we would go with Sergio Conceição or Thomas Doll on the right, Juan Sebastian Veron or Paul Gascoigne as attacking midfielder and/or playmaker with Matias Almeyda or Di Matteo in the more defensive role with Pavel Nedved on the left.

Sérgio Conceição was an attacking midfielder who was stationed on the right wing. Great crosser of the ball, he had strength, dribbling skills and good shooting abilities. In his first official match for the Biancocelesti he scored the winning goal which gave Lazio the Supercoppa in 1998. He stayed for two seasons winning a scudetto, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa, a Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Super Cup, with 113 appearances and 11 goals. Certainly the ideal right winger in a 4-4-2.

For the right wing we could also take Thomas Doll into consideration. He was part of an era in which Lazio were able to start attracting exciting foreign stars such as Doll himself. He performed well in Rome, so well that there will always be a regret about how much more he could have given had it not been for his injuries. Doll was an attacking midfielder who played mainly on the right. He had an innate ability to jump his defender and had dribbling skills you rarely see nowadays. He was a dynamic player with great stamina and running abilities. He was also a generous, hardworking and brave player, never holding back in physical battles, this could also account for some of his injuries. He made 73 appearances and 12 goals from 1991 to 1995.

We have two choices for attacking midfielder: Paul Gascoigne and Juan Sebastian Veron. Either would have been great.

As a player however, Gascoigne was one of a kind. He is considered one of the best players of his generation and one of the best English footballers of all time. He was an attacking central midfielder often playing as playmaker. Gascoigne had it all: pace, physical strength, balance, dribbling skills, striking and heading ability. His upper body strength and technical skills enabled him to glide past opponents and his great vision meant he could set up passes and assists. He could use both feet and was an incredibly creative and entertaining player. At his prime he was unstoppable. At Lazio he was and still is adored. It is fair to say he is one of the most popular players ever to have worn a Lazio jersey. It was love at first sight with Gazza. Lazio are a unique club, for better or worse and Gazza was a unique player. The fans fell in love with his character, his pranks, his Geordie Italian but especially the flashes of his superlative football skills. He only played 47 games for the Biancocelesti but some of his performances, his goal in the derby in the dying minutes, his amazing goal at Pescara, his passion and pure talent will be cherished forever. From 1992 to 1995 he played 47 games with 6 goals.

Veron was a fantastic player. He was a midfielder who played behind the forwards. He was capable however of playing anywhere on the field and even organising the game from the back. He had exceptional vision and would not hesitate in taking risks to open up opposition defences. He possessed good athleticism and could cover large areas of the pitch. His technical skills and his right-footed passes put many forwards in front of goal. He had excellent use of the outside of his feet and also an accurate long-range pass. With his long legs he was able to dispossess opponents and immediately create dangerous opportunities for his teammates. He was also skilled at corners and free kicks. He was an all-round creative midfielder. He became known as "La Luce" (The Light) as he lit up and illuminated Lazio’s games. In two years, he played 53 Serie A games with 11 goals, 7 games in Coppa Italia, 19 in Champions League with 3 goals, a UEFA Super Cup final and a Supercoppa. He is considered one of the best players ever for Lazio.

In a 4-4-2 we obviously need a more defensive midfielder, and this could be Roberto Di Matteo and perhaps even Aron Winter but possibly also Matias Almeyda. In his first year he did not play much, just 28 games, but in his second he became a regular player, impressing everybody. A strong, powerful, tireless player, he blocked the opposition and stole balls allowing the counter attack. He was the perfect midfield companion for Juan Sebastian Veron. With Lazio he won a scudetto, a Cup Winners Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, the Coppa Italia twice and the Super Coppa twice. In 1999 he was awarded the Guerin D’Oro as best midfield player of Serie A.

Left of the midfield four? One name: Pavel Nedved. He was one of the greatest players ever to have worn the Lazio jersey. A fighter who played mainly on the left side from midfield up, but he could use both feet indifferently. Under Eriksson he became one of the best midfield players in Europe. He had speed, power, vision, everything you could ask for. He played 208 games for Lazio with 51 goals.

Attack

In a 4-3-3 the three up front must be Roberto Rambaudi, Gigi Casiraghi or Christian Vieri and on the left Beppe Signori or Ruben Sosa.

Rambaudi was a good club player. He was an attacking right winger and was known as "Rambo" (for obvious reasons). Despite his nickname he was not a particularly physical player but he had a lot of running in him. He was tireless up and down his right wing, sometimes affecting his decisional lucidity. He was perfect for Zeman's style of play and it's not surprising his best years were with Foggia and the first three with Lazio. Rambaudi was hardworking, methodical and schematic just like the Bohemian coach. High pressing, constant movements, frenetic low one-two passes to get the ball into an assist or crossing position (always preferably on the ground) suited "Rambo's" characteristics perfectly. In four years, from 1994 to 1998, he made 143 appearances with 17 goals and countless assists.

Casiraghi particularly thrived under manager Zdenek Zeman and his 4-3-3. Despite probably not being the Czech’s ideal centre forward, he opened spaces for Signori and scored lots of goals, at least by his usual standards. Between 1993 and 1998 he made 188 appearances with 56 goals. He was a powerful centre-forward, not particularly skilful, but reliable with a good shot and excellent header.

Vieri never played for Zeman but there is a feeling that he would have thrived in a 4-3-3. He was a Chinaglia 2.0. Tall, powerful, good skills, excellent header of the ball, he had everything. Nobody can forget his marvellous header in the Cup Winners Cup final in Birmingham against Real Mallorca. He did not stay long, but is fondly remembered. He got injured immediately and took a while to come back but when he did Lazio flew and just missed out of a deserved scudetto mainly due to controversial refereeing decisions. His main fault was the fact that he thought that the ship had flown and decided to move to Inter. Lazio got a lot of money plus Diego Simeone, but if he had stayed, the club’s fortunes could have changed and he certainly would have won a lot more in his career than he actually did. He scored 14 goals for Lazio in just 28 games.

There is no doubt that Beppe Signori was the Lazio hero of the 1990s. He is one of the best goal scorers of all time, an exciting player who had power in his shot, speed and football intelligence. He arrived on the wave of success of Zeman’s attacking trio in Foggia where he managed Rambaudi, Ciccio Baiano and Signori. He took the place of Ruben Sosa who had decided to move to Inter. Similar players, both left-footed, both fast, both goal scorers. But Signori was more lethal. He scored 127 goals in 195 appearances in just over five years. Never seen a player like him, though they say he was very similar to Arne Selmosson. A pity he left the way he did, as he did not get on with Eriksson and could not get used to the upgrade in mentality.

At 1.74 metres Ruben Sosa was not an imposing forward and his physique was slightly on the stocky side. He was however a complete forward. He was able both to score goals and to set them up. Sosa was agile and quick, with explosive acceleration. Added to his speed and creativity he had a powerful and accurate left foot. His free kicks were particularly powerful and dangerous. Four years of high-level performances and a steady flow of goals, including three in derbies, make him a club legend. He was also a very likeable person and popular for his jovial character. He scored 47 goals in 140 appearances.

With the two attackers up front, either of the above could have played but we must add Alen Boksic, Marcelo Salas and Karl-Heinz Riedle.

Despite the fact that he was not particularly tall, Karl-Heinz Riedle had incredibly good aerial abilities, probably one of the best in football history. This was because, thanks to his high jumping training as a boy, he was able to stay in the air for longer than anyone else and he was also extremely accurate. He was much loved by Lazio fans and by his attacking teammates Ruben Sosa and Beppe Signori, who thanks to him were able to have excellent scoring opportunities, as he terrified defenders every time there was a cross into the box. He played 84 games in Serie A, scoring 30 goals, and 10 matches in Coppa Italia (2 goals).

Alen Boksic, the alien as he was called, is still today one of the fan favourites. He was an exceptional talent who, despite not living up to his potential, delighted Lazio fans for many years. Boksic was a modern attacker. He was 1.89 metres tall, physically strong and dynamic. He would drop from the box, switch flanks, attract and disorientate defenders with his runs, accelerations and dribbling. Running at defenders at full force he was devastating. He had power and skill enabling him to open up defences and give depth to his team. He was never a 20-plus goal striker (except for his season at Marseille) but all his other attributes made up for his lack of efficiency in front of goal. When he did score however, they were often quality, he was no tap-in goal scorer. He made 157 appearances for the Biancocelesti with 43 goals.

In the summer of 1998 Chile scared Italy in the World Cup. Only a dubious penalty allowed the Azzurri to snatch a draw. The hero for the South Americans that day was Marcelo Salas, soon to become one of the most loved centre-forwards for the Biancocelesti. Salas was not very tall but very skilful and fast. He could control a ball and score before the defenders even realised he was there. He also had good aerial qualities. He was one of the heroes of the Lazio second scudetto and played 117 times in three years with 48 goals. He will be forever remembered for the historic goal against Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup of 1999.

The final choices

Lazio 4-3-3

Marchegiani,

Negro, Nesta, Chamot, Favalli

Fuser, Di Matteo, Winter

Rambaudi/Conceicao, Casiraghi/Salas/Vieri, Signori/Ruben Sosa

Lazio 4-4-2

Marchegiani, Negro, Nesta, Mihajlovic, Favalli

Conceição/Fuser/Doll, Veron/Gazza/Doll, Almeyda/Di Matteo, Nedved

Boskic/Salas/Vieri/RIedle, Signori/Ruben Sosa

Too many players? Probably, but who to leave out?