Lazio 1999-2000

Lazio in 1999-2000 was Sven-Göran Eriksson's team that won the club's second Scudetto in history, 26 years after the first. The team also won the Coppa Italia in the same season and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2000, closing the most victorious cycle of president Sergio Cragnotti's era.

History

Società Sportiva Lazio was founded in Rome in 1900 and only won the Italian championship in 1973-74, under Maestrelli's command. From 1992, businessman Sergio Cragnotti took over the presidency and began making major signings, transforming the club into a permanent title contender. Swedish manager Sven-Göran Eriksson arrived in 1997 and consolidated a squad with Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedvěd, Roberto Mancini, Siniša Mihajlović, Diego Simeone, Marcelo Salas, Matías Almeyda and Dejan Stanković. In 1998, the team won the Coppa Italia and reached the UEFA Cup final, which they lost to Inter. In 1998-99, the European Cup Winners' Cup came, with a 2-1 victory over Mallorca, and in August 1999, the UEFA Super Cup, with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, with a goal by Marcelo Salas. In the 1999-2000 season, Lazio engaged in a direct battle with Juventus. The title was decided in the final round, on May 14, 2000: Lazio defeated Reggina 3-0 while Juventus lost 1-0 to Perugia, in a match played under heavy rain. Lazio finished with 72 points, one more than Juventus. The team also won the Coppa Italia 1999-2000, defeating Inter, and the Supercoppa Italiana, beating Inter 4-3 at the start of the following season. It was the most comprehensive achievement in biancoceleste history, before Cragnotti's financial crisis ended the cycle.