1997–98 SS Lazio season
| 1997–98 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Sergio Cragnotti | ||
| Manager | Sven-Göran Eriksson | ||
| Stadium | Stadio Olimpico | ||
| Serie A | 7th | ||
| Coppa Italia | Winners | ||
| UEFA Cup | Runners-up | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Pavel Nedvěd (11) All: Alen Bokšić, Pavel Nedvěd (15) | ||
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During the 1997–98 Italian football season, Società Sportiva Lazio competed in the Italian Serie A.
Season review
Lazio appointed a new coach in Sven-Göran Eriksson, snatching the Swede from an almost readied contract with Blackburn Rovers. Ex-Sampdoria man Eriksson brought playmaking secondary striker Roberto Mancini with him. In addition, he signed Vladimir Jugović and Alen Bokšić from Juventus, with Bokšić embarking on a second tenure at Lazio. Matias Almeyda also arrived at the club from Spanish side Sevilla, while wing-back Giuseppe Pancaro, signed from Cagliari, also proved to be a key player.
The new players managed to form an effective unit that was involved in the battle for the title until the 28th round, when they lost 1-0 at home to Juventus in a game that completely turned the tide for Lazio. The loss to Juventus had a detrimental effect on the team's form and led to a poor run of one point in six matches, dropping the team down to seventh. It was the club's worst league position for more than five years, but Eriksson was saved by the fact that the team had been seriously in the hunt for the scudetto for the first time, plus it reached the finals of both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. Lazio won the Coppa Italia, but stood no chance against Inter and on-song Ronaldo in the UEFA Cup final, eventually losing 3-0.
The 1997-98 season also saw the departure of club legend Giuseppe Signori, who failed to get on with Eriksson and was duly sold to Sampdoria as a long-overdue replacement for Mancini. Given the team's strong form at the time, his departure did not cause the same riots as had been the case when he was on the verge to be sold to Parma a few years earlier.
Lazio's best player during the season was arguably Pavel Nedvěd, the Czech winger scoring eleven goals and revelling in the confidence he got from Eriksson.
Players
Squad information
- Squad at end of season[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Competitions
Serie A
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches
| 3 | Empoli | 1–0 | Lazio | |
Martusciello  11' |
| 4 | Lazio | 3–2 | Bari | Rome, Lazio |
| Nedvěd 4', 90+4' Signori 90+1' |
Venturin 48' (o.g.) Ripa 61' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 7 | Roma | 1–3 | Lazio | Rome, Lazio |
| Delvecchio 90+1' |
Mancini 47' Casiraghi 57'Nedvěd 84' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 10 | Lazio | 2–3 | Udinese | Rome, Lazio |
| Fuser 31' Negro 41' |
Poggi 32' Cappioli 73'Amoroso 84' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 13 | Lazio | 4–0 | Vicenza | Rome, Lazio |
| Casiraghi 7' Fuser 63'Venturin 70'Bokšić 90+1' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 20 | Lazio | 3–1 | Empoli | Rome, Lazio |
| Nedvěd 17' Negro 55'Gottardi 90+3' |
Cappellini 35' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 25 | Sampdoria | 0–4 | Lazio | |
| Jugović 1' Nedvěd 54'Diego Fuser 66', 81' |
| 26 | Lazio | 0–0 | Piacenza | Rome, Lazio |
| Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |
| 33 | Lazio | 1–4 | Fiorentina | Rome, Lazio |
| M. Serena 42' (o.g.) |
Oliveira 14' Edmundo 24'Batistuta 41'Rui Costa 84' |
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico |