SS Lazio

Società Sportiva Lazio, founded on January 9, 1900, in Rome, is one of Italy's oldest football clubs. Originally a multi-sport society covering athletics and cycling, it soon focused on football. Lazio has spent the vast majority of its history in Serie A, Italy's top division. The team plays its home matches at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, a 70,634-capacity venue shared with city rivals Roma.

The club's first major trophy came in 1958 with the Coppa Italia, but its first Serie A title arrived in 1974 under Tommaso Maestrelli. A second Scudetto followed in 2000 under Sven-Göran Eriksson, part of a golden era that included a UEFA Cup final appearance in 1998, and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1999. Lazio has won the Coppa Italia seven times (1958, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2019) and the Supercoppa Italiana five times (1998, 2000, 2009, 2017, 2019). The club also won the Coppa delle Alpi in 1971.

After a financial crisis in 2002 forced the sale of star players and the departure of president Sergio Cragnotti, president Claudio Lotito took over in 2004 and stabilized the club. Under Lotito, Lazio won four more Coppa Italia titles. The team's traditional sky blue shirts and white shorts reflect Rome's ancient Hellenic heritage. Beyond football, Società Sportiva Lazio oversees over 40 different sports disciplines.[edit]

Lazio was founded on January 9, 1900, in the Prati district of Rome by Luigi Bigiarelli and a group of friends. The club initially encompassed multiple sports, including athletics, cycling, and fencing, before focusing on football in the early 1900s. Lazio joined the Italian Football Federation in 1912 and played in the early national leagues, but it was not until after World War II that the club established itself in Serie A.

The first major silverware came in 1958 when Lazio won the Coppa Italia, beating Fiorentina 1-0 in the final. Sixteen years later, in 1974, the club won its first Serie A title under manager Tommaso Maestrelli, led by captain Giuseppe Wilson and striker Giorgio Chinaglia. The 1990s marked Lazio's golden era under president Sergio Cragnotti. In 1998, the club reached the UEFA Cup final, losing to Inter Milan. The following year, Lazio won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup by beating Mallorca 2-1 and then defeated Manchester United 1-0 to win the UEFA Super Cup. In 2000, under Sven-Göran Eriksson, Lazio secured a league and Coppa Italia double, winning the Scudetto on the final day of the season.

A financial crisis in 2002 forced Cragnotti to sell key players like Alessandro Nesta and Hernán Crespo. After a period of instability, Claudio Lotito took over as president in 2004. Under Lotito, Lazio won the Coppa Italia in 2004, 2009, 2013, and 2019, and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2009, 2017, and 2019. In 2022-23, under Maurizio Sarri, Lazio finished second in Serie A, qualifying for the Champions League. The following season saw a seventh-place finish and managerial changes, with Igor Tudor resigning in June 2024 and Marco Baroni appointed as head coach for the 2024-25 season.[edit]