9 January 1900 - Football Crosses The Rubicon

On 9 January 1900, a group of nine sportsmen in Rome founded the city's oldest football team, SS Lazio. Originally known as the Società Podistica Lazio ("Lazio Track and Field Society"), after the region surrounding Rome, the club played their first football match in 1902, securing a 3-0 win over fellow Roman side Virtus. Presumably, they had acquired at least two additional members by then to field a full side.

The founders chose their colors and badge to be symbolic of both ancient Rome and ancient Greece; the colors of blue and white come from the colors of the flag of Greece, birthplace of the Olympics, and represent Lazio's ambition as a multi-sport club, while the eagle is taken from the battle standard of ancient Rome.

Although Lazio have spent the majority of their existence in Italy's top flight, their success is comparitively recent. They won their first trophy, the Coppa d'Italia, in 1958, and have since added 4 more Italian Cups (1998, 2000, 2004, 2009), two Serie A titles (1974, 2000), one Serie B title (1969), and three Italian Super Cups (1998, 2000, 2009). They have also had some European success, winning the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the 1999 UEFA Super Cup, and the 1998 UEFA Cup.

Lazio currently play in Serie A, where they finished in tenth place last season. They qualified for the 2009-10 Europa League playoffs, however, by winning the 2009 Coppa d'Italia.