[dukeofdavinci]

Rossi demands Lazio determination Sunday 6 April, 2008

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Lazio have won the derby and achieved mid-table safety, but Delio Rossi slams those who think his team has no motivation against Parma.

“I do not agree for three reasons. We are not out of the running for a UEFA Cup place, regardless of our Coppa Italia participation. We are not mathematically safe and third must earn our result every weekend,” said the Coach.

Their next test is against a very motivated outfit, as Parma need to escape the relegation zone.

“They play with great quality and I was surprised to see them so low down the table. I expect to see a Lazio performance similar to our last two games.”

One of the reasons for the upturn in Lazio’s fortunes since January has been the arrival of Rolando Bianchi from Manchester City.

“I do not just evaluate a striker on his goal record, but also for what he does working for the team. He’ll score when he least expects it, just like Tommaso Rocchi broke his drought earlier this season.”

Despite a stuttering campaign, Lazio President Claudio Lotito has said he’ll offer a new two-year deal to Rossi.

“I have a contract and want to respect it. If the President calls, then we will talk about it. Would I like a future abroad? I never thought about it. I do have an aspiration, but I won’t reveal what it is. I can confirm it’s not in Europe.”

The tactician could be talking about the international bench of one of the African nations, as other Italian Coaches who have taken such jobs include Franco Scoglio and Giuseppe Dossena.

channel4.com - Football Italia