On May 26, 2013, one of the fiercest rivalries in Italy took place in the Coppa Italia final. For the first time in their history, Lazio played Roma in the finals of the competition.
The Derby della Capitale has always been an intense rivalry and this was no different than the rest. The match was held scoreless for nearly three quarters and it seemed as if they were headed for extra time. However, in the 71′, long-serving Laziale, Senad Lulic, had other plans.
The left wing-back received a low cross from the right side by Antonio Candreva and scored with a low right-footed shot. Roma goalkeeper, Bodgan Lobont, failed to cut across the goal and make the save. Lazio won 1-0 and this led to their sixth Coppa Italia in club history; his fondest and most memorable moment in a Lazio jersey.
Senad Lulic: Lazio History
Lulic’s journey started with Lazio back on June 16, 2011. He transferred to Lazio for an undisclosed fee.
Prior to joining Lazio, the bulk of his playing career was primarily in the Swiss Super League. However, once the Bosnian stepped foot on Italian soil, he never looked back as in his fifteen-year career as a professional football player, ten of those seasons were with Lazio.
Lulic went on to have a memorable career with the Biancocelesti as he scored pivotal goals for his side. While the midfielder was not always known for his scoring, he scored a total of 34 goals in all competitions with many of his goals making a difference for Lazio.
Captaincy at Lazio
In July 2017, ex-club captain Lucas Biglia left Lazio to join AC Milan. Lulic’s hard work, dedication, leadership and devotion to the club had been seen by upper management and notably, by ex-manager, Simone Inzagh.
Lulic was always able to lead his men in the right direction and provide quality performances, and as a result, the Biancocelesti announced Lulic as Biglia’s replacement as the new team captain; on August 13, 2017, he won his first trophy as Lazio’s captain as they defeated Juventus 3-2 in the Supercoppa Italiana.
In his four seasons as the club’s captain, the midfielder was influential on and off the field. Lulic led the club to one Coppa Italia success and two Supercoppa Italiana trophies; his most recent trophy was back in December 2019 against Juventus. Lulic once again was a difference-maker and led by example on the field in their match against the Bianconeri. With over 15 minutes remaining in their match, Lulic scored the eventual game-winner in their 3-1 win.
Senad Lulic: Records
In his ten years with the club, Lulic always fought hard for the crest and was determined to win no matter what it would take. Lulic followed in the footsteps of many Lazio captains who served the team well, such as Stefano Mauri, Tommaso Rocchi, Alessandro Nesta, and Giuseppe Signori.
On November 29, 2018, Lulic entered the ranking for Lazio’s top ten appearances as he played his 294th game for the club. Additionally, on December 7, 2019, Lulic played in his 343rd match for Lazio and surpassed Aldo Puccinelli for fifth in all-time appearances with the club (371).
Heading into the 2020/21 Serie A season, there was one feat that Lulic had not yet accomplished with Lazio. The wing-back had yet to appear in the Champions League with the Biancocelesti. Last season, the club returned to the European competition after 13 seasons and finally, he had his chance to play in the tournament.
However, there were doubts if he would feature for Lazio after picking up a serious ankle injury the season prior in February 2019 versus Hellas Verona.
Final Years at Lazio
After a year-long absence, Lulic made his return and appeared in a match versus Sassuolo in February 2020. Throughout the season he made progress and regained form and on February 23, 2020, he played 59 minutes in the Round of 16 versus Bayern Munich. It was a special moment for Lulic as he finally had the chance to represent Lazio in the Champions League after nine seasons.
Lulic motivated his teammates to work hard and try until the final whistle. He wore the crest with pride and earned the respect of management, teammates and fans. In his final year with Lazio, the midfielder represented his club well and deserves a big thank you for what he accomplished with Lazio in ten seasons.
