Lazio cling to Serie A dream

Italy's sports minister has cast doubt on the resumption of Serie A leaving title-chasing Lazio fearing that history could repeat itself and deny them the Scudetto for the second time.

But with its president Claudio Lotito as the main driving force, the Roman club are determined that the Italian football league will resume despite the pandemic of the new coronavirus.

At stake, a Scudetto that Lazio see as being at their fingertips and the fear of reliving a nightmare going back 105 years.

Lazio missed out on the title the only previous time that football was suspended in Italy after the country's entry into the First World War in May 1915. Genoa were controversially awarded the title. Lazio still claim it should have been shared.

This season Lazio were second in Serie A, just one point behind Juventus when the games were suspended on March 10. The club are chasing a third league crown in their 120-year history after 2000 and 1974, the latter a season which had been threatened by a cholera epidemic.

No wonder Lazio are hell bent on resuming this season's championship despite the coronavirus crisis which has killed over 27,000 in Italy. Lotito insists it's in the interests of football, to avoid "the irreparable damage" and risk of bankruptcy to clubs in all leagues.

"If we stop, it suits me. I'm in the Champions League and I'm saving four months' salary," the 62-year-old said ahead of Friday's Lega Serie A emergency general assembly where the fate of the championship could be decided.

Simone Inzaghi's side had been on an unbeaten run in the league since September. They twice beat Juventus 3-1 in December, including the Italian Super Cup final. And Lazio take little solace in the fact that they are certain to go to the Champions League whether the season resumes or not.