2009 Coppa Italia final

Route to the final

Pre-match

Team selection

Goran Pandev and Pasquale Foggia both returned to fitness for Lazio in the lead up to this match; however, they had to do without the services of their Brazilian midfielder Matuzalém, who missed out through suspension. Sampdoria welcomed back defensive duo Pietro Accardi and Stefano Lucchini, as well as Paolo Sammarco, who passed a late fitness test, to assure him of a spot in the final.

Sampdoria coach Walter Mazzarri said that the final should be played in a neutral venue, and that it would give more balance to the match.

Ticketing

Although the usual capacity of the Stadio Olimpico is over 72,000, not every single ticket has been sold. In fact, Lega Calcio decided to sell about 20,000 tickets for each club, and the remain tickets at the neutral public (even if they had been bought for the most part from Lazio fans because the final was in Rome). Lazio fans took place in "Curva Nord", while the Sampdoria ones at the opposite side. Between Lazio fans and Sampdoria fans a sector, the "Distinti Sud Est", has been left empty to leave a large space between the "Curva Sud" and the "Tribuna Tevere", due to avoid fights between fans. That space was occupied in part by children of the youth Lazio teams. At the end of the match, it has been counted about 50,000 Lazio fans and 18,000 Sampdoria fans.

Kits

Having been designated as the official "home" team, Lazio could wear their usual kit, that is the light-blue one. Nevertheless, Sampdoria could wear their home kit too, but with blue shorts instead of white ones.

Match

Match details

Rocchi Rozehnal Kolarov Zárate Lichtsteiner Dabo Palombo Pazzini Gastaldello Accardi Delvecchio Campagnaro

|}

Post-match

After the match, some Lazio players wore a T-shirt to joke A.S. Roma rivals with written on it Io campione, tu zero titoli (I'm a champion, you have no honours), quoting a sentence said by José Mourinho who had, earlier in the season, correctly predicted that Milan, Juventus and Roma would have completed the season with no honours.

Lazio captain, Tommaso Rocchi, has been rewarded by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano in front of the "Tribuna Montemario", and gave him the trophy that Rocchi lifted with the captain of that match, Cristian Ledesma.

Cristian Brocchi and Lorenzo De Silvestri dedicated the victory to Gabriele Sandri, a fan who was killed last season, and coach Delio Rossi said that the triumph was also dedicated to the fans and everyone who had made many sacrifices to get the team to the final.

After the match, a minority of Lazio fans clashed with police and tried to smash shops in Rome city centre following the win over Sampdoria, according to a statement on 14 May 2009. Police said three arrests had been made before and after the final and added that five police officers had been injured.

References

References

1. "Local Weather Forecast, News and Conditions | Weather Underground".
2. (13 May 2009). "Lazio Edge Sampdoria On Penalties To Claim Fifth Coppa Italia". goal.com.
3. (14 May 2009). "Italian Cup 2008/2009: the trophy is for the SS Lazio". oleole.com.
4. (13 May 2009). "Muslera the hero as Lazio win Italian Cup on penalties". AFP.
5. (13 May 2009). "Injury Doubts Over Lazio's Pandev Subside Ahead Of Final". goal.com.
6. (12 May 2009). "Sampdoria Coach Mazzarri Wishes For Neutral Venue For Coppa Italia Final". goal.com.
7. (29 April 2009). "La Lazio giocherà la finale con la maglia celeste". SSLazio.it.
8. Kora. (13 May 2009). "Match report". Lega Calcio.
9. (13 May 2009). "Lazio, ecco la maglietta sfottò alla Roma". Il Corriere dello Sport.
10. (3 March 2009). "Mourinho spara a zero: guarda tutti i video". Il Corriere dello Sport.
11. (14 May 2009). "Brocchi & De Silvestri Dedicate Lazio's Coppa Italia To Gabriele Sandri". goal.com.
12. (13 May 2009). "Emotional Delio Rossi Overjoyed With Lazio's Coppa Italia Success". goal.com.
13. (14 May 2009). "Trouble follows Lazio Cup win in Rome". The Guardian.
14. (14 May 2009). "Lazio Fan Arrested Following Trouble At Coppa Italia Final". goal.com.