For both Roma and Lazio, the Derby Della Capitale is a game that requires serious focus and preparation.
It is rather unusual, then, for both teams to have different managers from one derby to the next. However, sometimes their timelines of coaching changes have aligned so that both teams go into a game with managers ready to oversee their first derbies from the touchline.
Here are the times that has happened since the start of the 21st Century.
This is only counting managers who were in their first spells with each club and not those who had recently returned for a second spell (such as Roma’s Zdenek Zeman in 2012, when Lazio also had a new manager in Vladimir Petkovic). In other words, it is only focusing on mutual derby debutants.
De Rossi/Tudor
Roma 1-0 Lazio, April 2024
Mourinho’s final derby in charge of Roma, which represented an exit in the Coppa Italia, was one of the final nails in the coffin of his time in charge of the club.
By the time Roma got the chance for redemption against their rivals after struggling to even score against them for games on end, club legend Daniele De Rossi had taken the reins. Meanwhile, Lazio’s new boss, replacing Sarri, was Igor Tudor.
In a feisty affair, it was Roma who could enjoy that winning feeling again thanks to a bullet header by Gianluca Mancini, who later endeared himself to the fans further by waving a blue-and-white flag with a rat on it.
After 31 derbies against Roma as a player, De Rossi’s first as a manager started exactly how he would have wanted it to.
Sarri/Mourinho
Lazio 3-2 Roma, September 2021
With Paulo Fonseca not earning a contract renewal and Simone Inzaghi being poached by Inter, both Roma and Lazio found themselves looking for new coaches in the summer of 2021.
Roma had actually been linked with Maurizio Sarri, but shocked the world by luring Jose Mourinho to the Italian capital instead. Ironically, Lazio appointed Sarri soon after.
Both managers attempted to oversee a transformation of style compared to their predecessors. While the last derby between Fonseca and Inzaghi’s teams had been a win for Roma, the first between Mourinho and Sarri’s was a win for Lazio.
Among the scorers for the victors was Pedro, who had just made a rare move from Roma to Lazio. His goal put the Biancocelesti 2-0 up, and the game eventually finished 3-2 in his new side’s favour.
Ranieri/Ballardini
Roma 1-0 Lazio, December 2009
Despite being a former Roma player, Claudio Ranieri never made an appearance in the derby during his playing career. He did, though, have experience playing against Lazio for Catanzaro, Catania and Palermo.
When he took the reins from Luciano Spalletti in 2009 to return to Roma as manager, Ranieri inspired an upturn in confidence around the club. His first derby was in December 2009, against a Lazio side who had appointed Davide Ballardini as their new leader that summer.
Unlike Ranieri, who guided Roma to second place, Ballardini would not last the season with Lazio. In fact, they only faced off once in a derby, which the Giallorossi won 1-0 courtesy of a Marco Cassetti goal.
Spalletti/Rossi
Roma 1-1 Lazio, October 2005
Spalletti was originally the man to bring some stability to Roma himself after inheriting a side in the summer of 2005 that had just been through a season with four coaches.
Neither Roma nor Lazio had managed to beat Spalletti’s top-four-finishing Udinese in 2004-05.
The honours were even in Spalletti’s first derby, which was also the first for Delio Rossi in the opposite hotseat. Francesco Totti put Roma ahead before Tommaso Rocchi equalised.
Delneri/Papadopulo
Lazio 3-1 Roma, January 2005
As stated, the 2004-05 season was turbulent for Roma. Lazio also changed managers during it, with Giuseppe Papadopulo replacing Domenico Caso remarkably right before the derby.
A former Lazio player, Papadopulo’s first game as their coach was against Roma, where Luigi Delneri – the third Giallorossi manager of the season – was awaiting his derby debut in the dugout as well.
Ultimately, Lazio won the first game of the new calendar year 3-1. Between the two rivals, 10 players were booked.
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