AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth’s penultimate pre-season friendly sees them host Lazio who have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football.
Champions of Italy twice, they have won the Coppa Italia seven times, the Supercoppa Italiana four times and both the Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup once.
Their last title came under Sven-Goran Eriksson 19 years ago, while they finished eighth last season and beat Atalanta in the final of the Coppa Italia to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League.
So far in pre-season, Simone Inzaghi’s (pictured above) team have played three lower-league Italian teams and beaten them all – Triestina (5-2), Virtus Entella (5-0), Mantova (4-0).
Following their visit to Vitality Stadium, they have two final warm-up games against Paderborn and Celta Vigo before travelling to Sampdoria for their Serie A opener on August 25th.
Ahead of the game, afcb.co.uk caught up with Sam Wilson to get the lowdown on Lazio.
Sam is the founder and editor of The Laziali, an English language website which carries news, views and interviews on I Biancocelesti (The White and Sky Blues).
afcb.co.uk: How has pre-season gone so far?
SW: It’s been a slow and quiet pre-season so far. Most of the matches Lazio have played have been against opposition from lower leagues which really doesn’t give you that much of a taste of how the team is looking.
That being said, the new signings have impressed greatly and we have picked up big wins against smaller teams which should, hopefully, give us some momentum going forward.
afcb.co.uk: Which players have stood out in pre-season?
SW: In terms of pre-season, the players who have stood out so far would probably be two of the new signings, only because of the fact they are new signings.
Jony, who we signed from Malaga, and Manuel Lazzari (pictured above), who we signed from SPAL, have both been exciting additions to the wings because they have added a new outlet to crossing which suits Simone Inzaghi’s game-plan.
afcb.co.uk: Lazio’s last Serie A title came in 2000 – how close is the next one do you think?
SW: That’s a tough one. Juventus have been the dominant team for years and the other clubs have the power to outspend Lazio so I would anticipate the next league title to be quite far away in terms of distance.
That said, there is always room for surprises. But the financial power of the other clubs way outweighs Lazio and, therefore, it’s unlikely to be anytime soon.
afcb.co.uk: Give us a word on the new signings?
SW: The other new signing worth mentioning is Denis Vavro (pictured above) who has signed from Danish club FC Copenhagen.
He’s a solid and consistent defender who adds a lot of depth and strength to our backline which is something that the club has struggled with in recent seasons due to injuries and suspensions.
Another signing is Bobby Adekanye from Liverpool but he is more of a youth prospect so it’s unlikely he will feature much this season barring any surprises.
afcb.co.uk: What sort of team can we expect to see against the Cherries?
SW: I would expect to see a strong team fielded, possibly as close to full strength as is available.
We have only really played smaller teams so far this summer so this match is the first real test to see what the team is made of and, therefore, I would expect Inzaghi to field a relatively full-strength team in preparation for the first Serie A game against Sampdoria on August 25th.
afcb.co.uk: Who is their rising star?
SW: A lot of the younger players may have struggled to come through in recent seasons. We have had quite a few on the verge who left in the summer.
But someone who hasn’t featured too much in the past who could have a bigger role to play this season is Danilo Cataldi. He’s had his fair share of controversy at the club and come under fire for some of his actions.
But he started to show some real promise last season and is looking to be a consistent part of the team this season.
afcb.co.uk: How would Lazio fans react if Gazza (pictured above at Vitality Stadium) turned up to watch?
SW: I am certain he would be given a standing ovation because he has a cult reputation at the club. He wasn’t in Rome for a long time but he scored against Roma in the derby and made himself something of a fans’ favourite so I would expect a warm welcome if he were to show his face.
afcb.co.uk: What are the realistic ambitions for the season?
SW: Realistically, the top-four race for Champions League qualification is wide open. Last season, Atalanta showed that anyone can give it a good go if you have the right manager and the right squad.
We just missed out a couple of seasons ago and ended up winning the domestic cup last season.
But considering the amount of changes going on at the other clubs in Italy with Inter, Roma, Milan and Juventus all having changes in management, there is no reason to say we can’t be up there challenging for the top four.
You can follow Sam on Twitter – @snhw_ and his website @The_Laziali.
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