Nostalgic Serie A five-a-side teams: picking a line-up for … Lazio
The series continues in which writers have the task of choosing a boiled-down team from club’s entire history
By Federico Farco for The Gentleman Ultra
Despite boasting an icon like Dino Zoff not between the sticks but rather on the bench as a coach and then behind the desk as a presidential figure, it’s Roberto Lovati who stands out as the most representative goalkeeper in Lazio’s history (though how about Angelo Peruzzi, Luca Marchegiani or Felice Pulici ?). Among those top candidates, Lovati was captain when Lazio lifted their first ever trophy, the Coppa Italia, in 1958 in the final against 1957 European Cup finalists Fiorentina. After featuring 135 times in goal over six seasons, he then went to on to serve as assistant coach, head coach (105 games, lifting Lazio’s first international trophy, the not-so-well-known Cup of the Alps, in 1971 against Basel), reserve-team coach, goalkeepers’ coach, head of scouting, talent scout and director. In 2014, President Lotito decided to name the club’s academy in honour of the white and sky-blue factotum.