Reja takes over as Lazio coach

Lazio confirmed Wednesday that veteran Edy Reja has taken over as coach of the Italian club from fellow Italian Davide Ballardini, sacked this week after the club slipped into the relegation zone.

“Lazio announce that Edoardo Reja … is the new coach of the team,” a club statement said

Reja, 64, has been in charge of several Italian clubs in the past and took Napoli from the third division into the Serie A in three years after taking over the club in 2004.

He was fired by Napoli in March 2009 and joined Croatian Club Hajduk Split as coach the following August.

Ballardini took over at Lazio at the start of the season but was forced out after the club dropped to 18th in the table following the 0-1 home defeat to Catania on Sunday.

Lazio were forced to train indoors on Tuesday after between 300 and 400 protesting fans scaled a fence and entered their training complex.

Up to 1,000 fans had been protesting outside the training ground and some clashed with police, resulting in five arrests and three people being injured.

Players had just gone outside to begin training when fans broke through the cordons so police advised them to train inside for security reasons.

It is only 10 years since Lazio were Serie A champions and last season they lifted the Italian Cup.