Ciro Immobile: Lazio’s Record-Breaking Goal Machine

Having already seen one effort ruled out for offside, he stood over the penalty knowing it was not only a chance to fire his team in front, but also to write his name in the record books.

The crowd at the Stadio Olimpico fell silent as Ciro Immobile began his run up, but moments later the Curva Nord erupted as their Captain drilled a low shot beyond the helpless Venezia goalkeeper.

They would hold on to that single-goal lead until the final whistle blew, and afterwards all the conversation was focused on the man who clinched all three points.

It was the 144th league goal that Immobile had registered for the club, meaning he surpassed the tally reached by legendary Italian forward Silvio Piola in Lazio colours.

Immobile’s overall total of 176 goals meant he was already some distance ahead of Piola (159) as the club’s all-time top scorer in all competitions, but there was no European competition back in the 1930s and 40s so – with Piola having only played 10 games in cup competitions – this was viewed as the true benchmark.

It took Immobile fewer games too, with the game against Venezia marking his 201st appearance in Serie A for the Biancocelesti while the previous record-holder made 227. Perhaps more than anything that underlines just how impressive a feat this has been for a man who only joined the club in the summer of 2016.

By now his story has been well-told. After setting records in the Juventus youth team, Immobile bounced around on a series of loans before being sold to Genoa in 2012, moving on to Torino a year later.

That 2013/14 campaign saw him catapulted into the spotlight as he would become Serie A’s top scorer, netting 22 goals in just 33 matches for the Granata and grabbing the attention of clubs across Europe.

Eventually he would join Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund in a move that cost the German club €17.96 million ($19.78m), only to see him struggle in a poorly constructed side. After a disappointing season that saw Immobile manage just 10 goals, he would move to Sevilla in 2015 before a return to Torino the following January.

Five goals in 14 appearances did little to quell fears that his breakout season had been a one-off, but on 27 July 2016, Immobile signed with Lazio for a fee of just €8.75 million ($9.64m).

What followed was nothing short of remarkable as the man from Torre Annunziata netted 23 league goals in his first season and 29 in his second, instantly proving what a great deal that was.

An injury-plagued 2018/19 saw his production slip slightly (15 goals, six assists), but the following season would see Immobile deliver something truly special. In 37 Serie A appearances, he would weigh in with an astonishing 36 goals and nine assists, winning the European Golden Shoe as the continent’s leading marksman.

He added another 20 last season before helping Italy to win Euro 2020, starting six of the seven matches the Azzurri played and contributing two goals and an assist along the way.

Immobile certainly doesn’t score as regularly for the national team as he does for his club, but Roberto Mancini knows his importance to the team and trusts him implicitly.

“Ciro has always done well when playing with us,” the Italy boss told reporters. “If we had 38 games in a row together, he’d score 25 goals, but it’s tougher when you only get together every now and then.”

With that winner’s medal in his pocket, Immobile returned to action with Lazio and has certainly shown no signs of slowing down. That goal against Venezia was his 26th of the season so far and put him one ahead of Dusan Vlahovic in the race for the Serie A Capocannoniere crown Immobile has already clinched three times.

This Sunday sees the Biancocelesti take on their crosstown rivals AS Roma in the Derby della Capitale and, as he has proven time after time, the record-breaking Ciro Immobile will be ready to deliver once again.