Scudetto to Lazio

May 14, 2000
Written by Alice

Juventus lost the chance of getting their 26th Scudetto as they lost 1-0 to Perugia on their final - and decisive - match. Lazio, winning their match against Reggina with a 3-0 score, assured the second Scudetto of the club's history. The Roman team took the lead and ended the season with 72 points, one more than Juve, who got 71 points.

It was definitely a strange day. It was raining in Perugia, from the start of the match, while the sun shone in all of the other Serie A matches. First half at Rome ended 2-0, with goals from Simone Inzaghi and Juan Veron, both penalty kicks. Juventus tried to score with Del Piero, Zidane and Inzaghi, but their match ended in a 0-0 draw.

Half time seemed to be endless at Perugia. The rain came down even harder, and referee Pierluigi Collina, always with an opened umbrella, tested the field several times to try to see if the match could go on. The players, coaches and supporters could do nothing but wait, as the rain simply wouldn't stop and all of the other matches went on - including Lazio's.

The wait for the rain to stop went on, when the biancocelesti's match had ended and they had already beaten Reggina 3-0. The Olimpico stadium was filled up with people who witnessed some of the most radical supporters invading the pitch, minutes before the match end, to get a "war trophy": Lazio players' jerseys and even some shorts. But, the players got their reserve kits and the match went on.

It was now time for the Laziali to wait, as Collina judged the field was already in conditions for the match to go on. So the two teams made it to the pitch and the match restarted. A draw would take Lazio and Juventus to a play-off for the Scudetto, but Perugia's Alessandro Calori scored, at the 49th minute. Perugia 1-0 Juventus.

After this, Juventus deperatedly tried to score, but many chances were wasted. Kovacevic, Zambrotta and Esnaider went in for Tacchinardi, Conte and Pessotto, respectively. But then, Zambrotta was sent off for having received two yellow cards, and the bianconeri had to play the rest of the match with ten men.

There was also a supporters field invasion there, but it didn't last as much as it did in Rome and the match could go on. Yet, just a few minutes later, the dream was officially over. The result that made Juve win so many matches during the season (1-0) was now a weapon used against them. Scudetto to Lazio.

TV images showed the parties at Rome - at the stadium and in the streets - while all one could see in the Juventus players' faces was disappointment and sadness. Del Piero has been shown signing some autographs on his way to the bus after the match, he was serious, and looking sad and very tired.

As for the other squads, Milan reached third place and qualifyed for the Champions League. Inter and Parma, tied in fourth place, will make a play-off to decide who gets to play the most important European clubs tournament. Roma and Fiorentina are in next season's UEFA Cup, while Udinese, Verona and Perugia will play the Intertoto Cup - the same one Juventus played in the beggining of this season, and that gives teams another chance to play the UEFA Cup. Cagliari, Piacenza, Venezia and Torino are relegated to Serie B.

Juve still got automatic qualification for the next season's Champions League, for being second place in the Serie A. Maybe a summer break is all it will take for Carlo Ancelotti and his boys to get back in full power.
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