It feels like playing chess...

Sometimes it feels like playing chess when you think about Lazio in these days: there’s just one move left to the checkmate. No, it’s not Czech mate, even if rumours wanted Pavel Nedved to join Lazio at the very end of his career, and Hoffenheim has reportedly offered 3 million euros for David Rozehnal.
The first move Lazio are about to make is choosing a coach (of course the main candidate remains Ballardini), who normally is to be considered the linchpin of a new project. If President Claudio Lotito completes this move in the days to come, many other kings and knights can move to their natural position.
First king to be moved will be the transfer market one. Many situations are lying in wait but they are quite far from being defined. Ledesma’s one appear to be the quickest to be solved since on Friday 12th June his agent Vincenzo D’Ippolito will meet Lotito and discuss the argentine midfielder situation. If they don’t find an agreement by Monday, the former Boca Juniors and Lecce player might use FIFA’s article 17 to free himself.
Pandev situation promises to be a long arm wrestling. The Macedonian player asked to be sold and, according to Daily Mail, Arsenal have offered 20 million euros for his fee. Lotito has to decide in the end, but normally it would be better to let a player go if he doesn’t want to stay. He wouldn’t perform as usual and it would be a big loss for the club both technically and economically wise. If we consider that Bayern Munich had offered 30 million euros last season just because they saw him strike twice in the home game against Real Madrid, Pandev’s price have already gone down in the space of one year. One might say that Ledesma was almost forced to stay for the 2007/08 season, but he was considered pivotal in Delio Rossi’s tactics. Thus there was not any risk he would be underestimated.
At the same time, apart from the 21 players who will make it back to Formello by the 5th July (which is the day the new roster will gather at the training ground), Lazio has officially signed Albano Bizzarri from Catania. The Argentine goalkeeper is the second in Europe (that is, the main five European Leagues) for his saving average (4.78), just behind Energie Cottbus’ Gerhard Tremmel (5.03).
The feeling about the remaining players is that they will wait and see what will be the attitude of the new coach. Some of them felt Delio Rossi snubbed them. Luciano Zauri and Guglielmo Stendardo are both coming back from loans to Fiorentina and Lecce. Zauri could have played one more year in the Champions League with Fiorentina: and that clearly gives the idea of why he left. Stendardo of course prefer to play in Serie A rather than B with Lecce, but he had many problems with the club last season so he will have to make do with the situation or at least clarify his position. The point is that the Napoli born defender sued the club for not being allowed to train with his own team mates last summer and won the case. He gave the money he got to charity, with the Fondazione Gabriele Sandri and Sister Paola’s So.Spe benefiting from it. Willy, as he’s commonly known, deserves to be there fighting for a place in the starting line-up but the situation doesn’t completely depend on him. If he doesn’t stay, Udinese could be ready for a swap with Domizzi.
Another central defender with blurred ideas is Emilson Sanchez Cribari, who appears to suffer from Maicon’s syndrome. The Brazilian Inter Milan right-back has told La Gazzetta dello Sport:
«I am not a phenomenon, but I am not any old player either. For three years Inter have treated me with indifference, perhaps, because they are all worried about satisfying Ibrahimovic. New contracts. Special prizes. I am not jealous of Ibra. He is a phenomenon. This is not the problem. I am just tired of being mistreated.» Fair enough. And Cribari thinks the same as regards the situation of some of his team mates whose desires have always been satisfied, without even being close to Ibrahimovic level.
After the coach will be chosen, many of these situations should finally fit in. And at the same time Lazio should plan some friendlies and unveil the new kits.
On Wednesday 10th June, team manager Manzini and his staff confirmed that the club is looking for some matchday package suitable to those fans aiming to make the trip to Beijing. The Supercup game will take place in the Bird’s Nest Stadium at 8pm local time (1 pm in Italy). It should be considered a privilege to play at such day and time since last year’s Olympics opening ceremony was held exactly on the 8th August (8th month of the year) of 2008 at 8 pm. On that day, Lazio played at Anfield Road a pre-season friendly against Liverpool at 8pm in the UK, losing 1-0. The outcome though should not be the same: after all, it’s not 2008 anymore…!