“Come on, two goals on Sunday”. The wish, in perfect Roman dialect and spirit (yellow and red side), comes via text message from former partner David Pizarro, who recently moved to Manchester City. If against Lazio Francesco Totti will take the field (as it would seem, despite the stomp on his left foot received in training) and will confirm the prediction of the Chilean midfielder, realizing the dream of half of football Rome, he will become the first scorer in the history of the derby.
Precisely he who has always felt this race more than others, more than all, up to become its symbol for 18 years now: among the many records put together by Pupone, there is in fact also that of the derby disputed. As many as 30, clearly outdistancing Masetti and Aldair stopped at 24 and 20. But he lacks the primacy of goals scored against his hated rivals: his 8 goals scored, many of which were decisive (the unforgettable "I purged you again" of 11 April 1999), place him in second place, just one point behind Delvecchio (9 goals in just 15 matches...) and Da It costs.
Ma the 170th edition of the Capital derby, scheduled for Sunday at 15 pm, does not revolve only around the records of the Giallorossi Captain. First of all Lazio takes the field more fierce than ever of that "Reja-man-derby" so much invoked by the Romanists, but who in the meantime played them in the last match on 16 October, 2-1 in comeback. The Biancocelesti are returning from the diplomatic case following the umpteenth clash between the coach and sporting director Tare (complete with a telenovela entitled: "resignation yes, resignation no") but will try to take advantage of the derby to hunt for third place synonymous with the Champions League and to keep the cousins at a distance, who would go to -10 if they lose, probably saying goodbye to European dreams.
For the occasion, too the eaglets will find their captain again (lowercase c, ubi major…), Stefano Mauri, absent right from the derby of the first leg, when he repaired a tear in his thigh. Since then, a dense mystery about his conditions and also some suspicions (moderately founded, according to the records of the investigation) of a possible involvement in football betting, another theme that has shaken up the environment around Formello.
Mauri aside, it will certainly be the derby of that Miroslav Klose already star performer in the first leg, which seems to have returned to form in recent weeks after a period of fogging. Even for him a "thrill from stomping", remedied in a game clash in Wednesday's friendly between France and Germany: but the Lazio fans can rest assured, he will take the field.
Just as Daniele De Rossi will be on the pitch after the punishment in Bergamo. His season so far has not been easy: first the controversy over the renewal of his contract, then finally the signing (which in spite of financial fair play and the club's green line, will cost Roma 50 million over the next 5 years for a player who will 34), and finally the case – still open – of theexclusion from last Sunday's match against Atalanta. De Rossi paid for a few minutes' delay with a decision that frankly seemed excessive and which, according to the rumors in the dressing room, would have shaken the environment in Trigoria quite a bit.
The player apologised, however, while sporting director Baldini chose transparency on the matter, only to later regret it: “Imaginative reconstructions have been made of what happened on Sunday in Bergamo. We have chosen the path of transparency to tell everything that happens, but obviously it doesn't help". Heinze's comment is synthetic: "A situation like this has never happened to me in my career".
From yellow-De Rossi to soap opera Reja-Lotito: turn on the TV, the derby has already begun.
