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Euro test delights Zauri Friday 27 July, 2007

Lazio captain Luciano Zauri can’t wait for the capital club’s Champions League campaign to get up and running.

The Biancocelesti are ending the first part of their pre-season training in Austria today before travelling to England for the friendly matches with Southampton and Arsenal.

Zauri is hoping that this will stand them in good stead for their Champions League qualifying tie in August.

“We have worked a lot and we are well aware of what we are capable of,” said Zauri. “Last year we finished in third place, which was a well-deserved position although unexpected.

“Now we are focusing on the Champions League preliminary round. We still have a few weeks and we hope to face this important game at our best.

“We only need to play every match with our heart,” continued the Biancoceleste, who insists that his side doesn’t fear anyone heading into the new season.

“Roma? They are slightly stronger than us, but we are not worried. We can compete with all the major clubs.”

Zauri hopes that the determination shown in the past season can allow Lazio to repeat their winning performances this time out, as he knows the supporters have high expectations.

“We all know each other very well and you can see that on the field,” he continued. “I think we can do well, although we need some time to understand our targets.

“We need the same motivation we had last year, otherwise we might fail to meet the expectations.”

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