Lazio President Claudio Lotito asserts he is not afraid of a possible Europa League Final encounter with Roma, stating, “I remember the Coppa Italia…”
Both Roma and Lazio were victorious in their respective first-leg matches of the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday.
Roma defeated Athletic Club 2-1 at their home ground, while Lazio achieved the same scoreline with a 2-1 win against Viktoria Plzen away.
Positioned on opposite sides of the Europa League bracket, Roma and Lazio could potentially clash in the Final.
Biancocelesti President Lotito declared he would not be intimidated by the prospect of facing their city rivals at the Estadio San Mames in Bilbao on May 21.
“Fear a European final against Roma? I fear nothing,” he mentioned via LaLazioSiamoNoi.
“If my memory serves me right, there was a Coppa Italia final on May 26 [2013] where Lazio played a leading role and secured the prestigious trophy. If a similar situation could bring Italian football into the limelight and help improve our ranking, then let it be.”
Lazio currently holds the fifth position in the Serie A standings, trailing fourth-place Juventus by just two points, keeping their Champions League qualification aspirations alive.
“At this moment, we shouldn’t rush ahead; we need to see how far we can progress,” Lotito commented.
“We must maintain our focus and approach each game step by step.”