Lazio vs Pescara preview - A tale of two coaches

Posted Monday, February 25, 2013 by PA

While Cristiano Bergodi battles to secure his own future as Pescara coach by keeping the club in Serie A, his Lazio counterpart has been promised a long career at the Stadio Olimpico if he wants to stay.

All the signs indicate Vladimir Petkovic has significantly less pressure on his shoulders than Bergodi, with the Biancocelesti riding high in the league table ahead of Monday's meeting of the two sides, but reports in Italy suggest the Bosnian is not entirely happy in the Italian capital.

Pescara, meanwhile, are in the bottom three and five points from safety having lost five games from six, but have given their backing to Bergodi, for the time being.

This week Lazio president Claudio Lotito warned potential suitors away from Petkovic, who has defied his modest reputation to lead an unlikely charge for the Scudetto.

Lotito told La Repubblica: "He's under contract with us and he's a good person. I don't think he's unhappy at Lazio and so I don't see why he would want to leave.

"I would like people to stop trying to woo coaches and players who are under contract, that goes against the honest values of sport."

Lazio have failed to win in five games as they struggle to score goals in the absence of star striker Miroslav Klose.

Lotito rejected accusations of poor investment in alternatives during January, adding: "No, that's not the case.

"First of all people were saying that our squad was too large and had to be trimmed, so we didn't sign any new players in the transfer window.

"It all depends on the winning mentality of the team and if Lazio can maintain that attitude then it could be very rewarding."

Defender Michael Ciani serves a one-match ban while Cristian Brocchi, Stefano Mauri and Marius Stankevicius join Klose on the treatment table.

A first return to Lazio as a Serie A coach should be a joyous occasion for a man who spent seven happy years as a player in Rome, but Bergodi has other things on his mind.

"Pescara and Lazio are the clubs where I grew most in my playing career," he said. "It's always a pleasure to go back to Rome and see all my friends, but we are going through a bad time and so my emotions will be a little watered down.

"We have to get results against teams that are at a higher level than us. The league table doesn't make for happy reading but I don't think that anything is decided in terms of survival.

"Our crisis will come to an end and maybe other teams will suffer a dip in their results. We won't succeed if we only try to defend against Lazio and try to avoid losing, I've told the lads to show courage."

Pescara are missing Damiano Zanon, Manuele Blasi and Vladimir Weiss through suspension while Gaetano D'Agostino, Juan Quintero and Ferdinando Sforzini continue to nurse injuries.