Società Sportiva Lazio (BIT: SSL; Lazio Sport Club), commonly referred to as Lazio (Italian

pronunciation: [ˈlattsjo]), is an Italian professional sports club based in Rome, most known for its
football activity.[3] The society, founded in 1900, plays in the Serie A and have spent most of
their history in the top tier of Italian football. Lazio have been Italian champions twice (1974,
2000), and have won the Coppa Italia seven times, the Supercoppa Italiana four times, and both
the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup on one occasion.[4]

The club had their first major success in 1958, winning the domestic cup. In 1974, they won their
first Serie A title. The 1990s have been the most successful period in Lazio's history, seeing them
win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1999, the Serie A title in 2000, and
reaching their first UEFA Cup final in 1998. Due to a severe economic crisis in 2002 that forced
president Sergio Cragnotti out of the club along with several star players being sold, Lazio's
success in the league declined. In spite of the lower funds, the club has won four Coppa Italia
titles since then; in 2004, 2009, 2013 and 2019. Current president Claudio Lotito took charge of
the club in 2004 after two years of a vacuum after Cragnotti's departure.

Lazio's traditional kit colours are sky blue shirts and white shorts with white socks; the colours
are reminiscent of Rome's ancient Hellenic legacy. Sky blue socks have also been
interchangeably used as home colours. Their home is the 70,634[1] capacity Stadio Olimpico in
Rome, which they share with A.S. Roma until 2020, when the latter will leave for the Stadio
della Roma. Lazio have a long-standing rivalry with Roma, with whom they have contested the
Derby della Capitale (in English "Derby of the capital city" or Rome derby) since 1929.[5]

Despite initially not having any parent–subsidiary relation with the male and female professional
team (that was incorporated as S.S. Lazio S.p.A.), the founding of Società Sportiva Lazio
allowed for the club that participates in over 40 sports disciplines in total, more than any other
sports association in the world.
Società Podistica Lazio was founded on 9 January 1900 in the Prati district of Rome.[8] Until
1910, the club played at an amateur level until it officially joined the league competition in 1912
as soon as the Italian Football Federation began organising championships in the center and
south of Italy, and reached the final of the national championship playoff three times, but never
won, losing in 1913 to Pro Vercelli, in 1914 to Casale and in 1923 to Genoa 1893.

In 1927, Lazio was the only major Roman club which resisted the Fascist regime's attempts to
merge all the city's teams into what would become A.S. Roma the same year.

The club played in the first organised Serie A in 1929 and, led by legendary Italian striker Silvio
Piola,[9] achieved a second-place finish in 1937 – its highest pre-war result.

The 1950s produced a mix of mid and upper table results with a Coppa Italia win in 1958. Lazio
was relegated for the first time in 1961 to the Serie B, but returned in the top flight two years
later. After a number of mid-table placements, another relegation followed in 1970–71.[10] Back
to Serie A in 1972–73, Lazio immediately emerged as surprise challengers for the Scudetto to
Milan and Juventus in 1972–73, only losing out on the final day of the season, with a team
comprising captain Giuseppe Wilson, as well as midfielders Luciano Re Cecconi and Mario
Frustalupi, striker Giorgio Chinaglia, and head coach Tommaso Maestrelli.[11] Lazio improved
such successes the following season, ensuring its first title in 1973–74.[12][13] However, tragic
deaths of Re Cecconi[14] and Scudetto trainer Maestrelli, as well as the departure of Chinaglia,
would be a triple blow for Lazio. The emergence of Bruno Giordano during this period provided
some relief as he finished League top scorer in 1979, when Lazio finished eighth.[15]
S.S. Lazio team which won the club's first scudetto in 1974

Lazio were forcibly relegated to Serie B in 1980 due to a remarkable scandal concerning illegal
bets on their own matches, along with Milan. They remained in Italy's second division for three
seasons in what would mark the darkest period in Lazio's history. They would return in 1983 and
manage a last-day escape from relegation the following season. The 1984–85 season would
prove harrowing, with a pitiful 15 points and bottom place finish.

In 1986, Lazio was hit with a nine-point deduction (a true deathblow back in the day of the two-
point win) for a betting scandal involving player Claudio Vinazzani. An epic struggle against
relegation followed the same season in Serie B, with the club led by trainer Eugenio Fascetti
only avoiding relegation to the Serie C after play-off wins over Taranto and Campobasso. This
would prove a turning point in the club's history, with Lazio returning to Serie A in 1988 and,
under the careful financial management of Gianmarco Calleri, the consolidation of the club's
position as a solid top-flight club.

Colours, badge and nicknames

Lazio's colours of white and sky blue were inspired by the national emblem of Greece, due to the
fact that Lazio is a mixed sports club this was chosen in recognition of the fact that the Ancient
Olympic Games and along with it the sporting tradition in Europe is linked to Greece.[29]

Originally, Lazio wore a shirt which was divided into white and sky blue quarters, with black
shorts and socks.[30] After a while of wearing a plain white shirt very early on, Lazio reverted to
the colours which they wear today.[30] Some seasons Lazio have used a sky blue and white shirt
with stripes, but usually it is sky blue with a white trim, with the white shorts and socks.[30] The
club's colours have led to their Italian nickname of Biancocelesti.[31]

Lazio's traditional club badge and symbol is the eagle, which was chosen by founding member
Luigi Bigiarelli.[32] It is an acknowledgment to the emblem of Zeus (the god of sky and thunder
in Greek mythology) commonly known as the Aquila; Lazio's use of the symbol has led to two
of their nicknames; le Aquile ("the Eagles") and Aquilotti ("Eaglets"). The current club badge
features a golden eagle above a white shield with a blue border; inside the shield is the club's
name and a smaller tripartite shield with the colours of the club.