Lazio are in good shape for their Champions League preliminary round tie, as they thrashed Southampton 5-2 at St. Mary's.
The Biancocelesti already thumped The Hammers 2-0 earlier this week and did even better on their visit to British soil.
Within the opening 6 minutes the visitors were 2 goals to the good thanks to a Goran Pandev free kick and Stefano Mauri taking advantage of a defensive howler to tap in from 6 yards.
There was an abyss between the 2 sides and the Italians played some beautiful one-touch football, with Tommaso Rocchi and Valon Behrami going close.
By the 15th it was 3-0 as Behrami chipped the defence to find Rocchi for a smart turn and goal at the 2nd attempt.
Both goalkeepers were tested by Pandev and Bialkowski, however a soft penalty for a Massimo Mutarelli handling offence allowed Jones to get one back.
Mauri ensured the 3 goal cushion was restored less than a minute later as he finished off a splendid Pandev solo effort.
Lazio were marching all over the Saints and could have had so many more goals, however Bialkowski kept out Rocchi and another dubious penalty for a Manuel Belleri push on Rasiak gave the home side their 2nd goal.
Belleri made up for that incident by setting up the 5th for Rocchi to sidefoot home.
Substitute Stephen Makinwa had a good chance for six, however Bialkowski again came to the rescue.
With a final due to Southampton 2 – Lazio 5, this is the 1st time ever that the Saints were beaten in the annual Ted Bates Trophy.
24 06 2007
Reggina hitman Nicola Amoruso is on the verge of completing a transfer to Palermo, as stated by reports.
The veteran has had a sensational season at the Stadio Granillo, as his 17 goals in 34 games helped form the most prolific partnership in Serie A with Rolando Bianchi.
He was linked with the vacant spot at Fiorentina after Luca Toni's departure, however rumours claim that Amoruso has agreed to the proposal from Palermo.
Requested by new Coach Stefano Colantuono, the Rosanero require a new centre forward to replace the Sampdoria-bound Andrea Caracciolo.
It could be a return to Sicily for the ex Juve forward, who spent the 2004-05 campaign at rivals Messina.
Amoruso, who turns 33 in August, has had a well-travelled career at Sampdoria, Fidelis Andria, Padova, Juve, Perugia, Napoli, Como, Modena, Messina and Reggina.
Palermo have also bought Davide Matteini after winning the blind auction with Empoli, however lost Stephen Makinwa to Lazio.
23 06 2007
There were no real surprises as the blind auction envelopes to resolve co-ownership deals were opened this afternoon.
Fabio Quagliarella will leave Sampdoria after Udinese outbid them by £570,000, whilst Lazio offered more than Palermo for Stephen Makinwa.
BELINGHERI (ALBINOLEFFE-ASCOLI) ASCOLI
BOTTONE (VARESE-TORINO) TORINO
BRIVIO (FIORENTINA-ATALANTA) ATALANTA
CAROBBIO (GENOA-ALBINOLEFFE) ALBINOLEFFE
CAROTTI (CREMONESE-PARMA) CREMONESE
CASSETTI (ROMA-LECCE) ROMA
CAVAGNA (AREZZO-FOLIGNO) FOLIGNO
CESAR (CATANIA-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
CIARCIA (TERNANA-CROTONE) TERNANA
CODA (UDINESE-EMPOLI) UDINESE
COMOTTO (TORINO-ROMA) TORINO
CROCE (AREZZO-PESCARA) AREZZO
DE FALCO (PESCARA-FIORENTINA) PESCARA
DEL SOLE (SANREMESE-PARMA) PARMA
DI DEO (FROSINONE-TERNANA) TERNANA
DIAGOURAGA (SAMBENEDETTESE-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
DIDIO (REGGINA-TERNANA) TERNANA
FELCI (PESCARA-GIULIANOVA) PESCARA
FIUZZI (CUOIOPELLI-EMPOLI) EMPOLI
GAZZI (REGGINA-BARI) BARI
KONKO (SIENA-GENOA) SIENA
MAKINWA (LAZIO-PALERMO) LAZIO
MASIELLO (SIENA-GENOA) GENOA
MATTEINI (PALERMO-EMPOLI) PALERMO
MILANI (BARI-CITTADELLA) CITTADELLA
NOSSA (SAN MARINO-INTER) INTER
OLA (CESENA-TERAMO) CESENA
OLIVERI (PESCARA-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
OSVALDO (LECCE-ATALANTA) ATALANTA
PEDRELLI (VENEZIA-BOLOGNA) VENEZIA
PELLICORI (CESENA-PIACENZA) CESENA
PEPE (UDINESE-CAGLIARI) UDINESE
QUAGLIARELLA (SAMPDORIA-UDINESE) UDINESE
RINALDI (CARRARESE-GENOA) CARRARESE
RUSSO (GROSSETO-MESSINA) GROSSETO
SAVIANO (CASSINO-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
SIMONETTA (AREZZO-ROMA) AREZZO
SPITONI (GENOA-PERUGIA) GENOA
SORRENTINO (GROSSETO-PARMA) GROSSETO
VALERI (GROSSETO-INTER) GROSSETO
21 06 2007
The deadline for co-ownership agreements has passed and 14 players' futures will be decided by blind auction, that included Marco Cassetti and Fabio Quagliarella.
A blind auction takes place in Italian football when 2 sides cannot decide on the fate of a player.
Therefore they secretly place an offer, for the other club's 50 per cent stake in the individual, in a sealed envelope and then hand that over to the Italian Football League.
Whichever club bids the highest has to pay that fee in order to net the player. The envelopes will be opened Friday.
Some situations were resolved before the deadline. Davide Biondini and Paolo Bianco are now entirely owned by Cagliari after purchasing out Reggina and Catania respectively.
Davide Marchini is now co-owned by the Sardinians, having previously been on loan from Triestina.
Christian Maggio remains at Sampdoria after agreeing to share his contract with Fiorentina, renewing deals with Palermo for Christian Terlizzi and Massimo Bonanni as well as with Udinese for Mirko Pieri and Salvatore Foti.
Samp have sold their half of Luca Antonini to Milan and Mark Edusei to Catania.
However, the Blucerchiati have failed to reached an agreement with Udinese over the ownership of transfer hot property Quagliarella.
He goes into the blind auction along with 13 other players.
Blind auctions
Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria/Udinese)
Andrea Coda (Udinese/Empoli)
Marco Cassetti (Roma/Lecce)
Gianluca Comotto (Torino/Roma)
Damiano Ferronetti (Parma/Roma)
Giuseppe Scurto (Chievo/Roma)
Daniele Corvia (Siena/Roma)
Stephen Makinwa (Lazio/Palermo)
Michele Ferri (Cagliari/Palermo)
Davide Matteini (Palermo/Empoli)
Viktor Boudianski (Ascoli/Juve)
Daniele Gastaldello (Siena/Juve)
Tomas Danilevicius (Bologna/Livorno)
Mattia Graffiedi (Triestina/Milan)
09 06 2007
Stephen Makinwa's future is in the balance, however he has bitterly criticised Lazio for lacking faith in his abilities.
The forward is co-owned by the Biancocelesti and Palermo, having played for both clubs over the last 2 seasons.
'I do not know much about my current situation. Yesterday Claudio Lotito and Maurizio Zamparini met, however I do not think they reached an agreement,' mentioned the Nigerian hitman.
'I would like to remain at Lazio and have mentioned that for some time, as I would like to prove how much I am worth after a difficult campaign.'
However, he also aimed a sideswipe at the Olimpico club after making only 5 Serie A starts this season.
'I have never complained about the fact I was not used very much, however I do get the impression the club does not think in me. Palermo, on the other hand, appear to be doing everything they can to get me back.'
