ONCE upon a time, Italian giants Lazio seldom required an introduction on the European stage.

Household names Alen Boksic, Paul Gascoigne, Giuseppe Signori, Pavel Nedved and Juan Sebastian Veron to name a few, provided the Rome club with its renaissance during the 90s.

On last night's show on Teesside, those glory days are a million years away.

Prior to Sergio Cragnotti's appointment as president in 1991, Lazio had spent almost two decades of anonymity, weaving in and out of Italy's top two divisions.

In 1980 they were relegated from the top flight along with AC Milan on match-fixing claims.

But like Steve Gibson's intervention on Teesside in 1986, Lazio were re-born under Cragnotti, with success soon following, both at home and abroad.

They claimed the Italian double in 2000, winning the Scudetto and the domestic Cup, just a year after claiming their first European honour, the Cup Winners' Cup.

And while Lazio - even with Cragnotti departing last year - remain a force in Serie A, they no longer boast the star-studded names that once graced the famous sky blue shirts.

As last night's teams were read out, only the names of Paolo Di Canio and Fernando Couto bared any recognition among the Teesside public.

As unknown as Middlesbrough may be in the Tavernas of Rome, the Teessiders boasted no fewer than seven internationals in their starting XI last night - a figure only trimmed by Steve McClaren's young and classy fledglings, Tony McMahon and Stewart Downing.

In contrast, Lazio coach Domenico Caso fielded an experienced line-up, despite several enforced changes, with Paolo Negro, Dino Baggio and Roberto Muzzi all absent.

And while local lad Downing provided the youthful exuberance which has brought him to the brink of an England call-up, former Barcelona man Bolo Zenden showed his wealth of European know-how, rifling the home side into a deserved first half lead.

The fact Lazio's main source of inspiration came in the shape of veteran Di Canio - released by Charlton in the summer - speaks volumes for the visitors' current predicament.

And the fiery Italian could do little but throw a fist to Riverside pitch when Zenden completed a momentous night on Teesside, heading home Downing's pin-point cross from the right.

Boro, in the driving seat to make the last 32 of the competition, may have began their maiden UEFA Cup campaign as unknowns, but McClaren's men can only gain respect from their European counterparts with performances like last night.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.