April 16, 1972: Lazio Reggiana 1-0
- Simon Basten
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
A win was needed and a win it was
Lazio beat Reggiana in the big match of the day and overtake them
Also on this day:
The season so far
The disastrous 1970-71 season had culminated in a relegation to Serie B for the Biancocelesti. It was a devastating and unexpected fall for the club so President Umberto Lenzini, on a suggestion from sporting director Antonio Sbardella, chose a young manager called Tommaso Maestrelli who had done well in Serie C and Serie B with Reggina and Foggia.
The first problem the club had to face was the fact that Giorgio Chinaglia demanded to be sold. He refused to play in Serie B and was not entirely happy with the change of management. Maestrelli convinced him to stay.
Two fundamental future players joined Lazio in the summer transfer window. Luigi Martini, from Livorno, and Giancarlo Oddi returning from his loan spell at Massese. Lazio also signed goalkeeper Claudio Bandoni (Fiorentina) and midfielder Rino Gritti on loan from Lecco. Rino Marchesi, Nello Governato and Giancarlo Morrone left Lazio as free agents as well as Ferruccio Mazzola and Michelangelo Sulfaro on loan to Fiorentina.
In the November transfer window Lazio would then sign Carlo Facchin and Giambattista Moschino, returning after nine years, plus Alessandro Abbondanza on loan from Napoli with Pierpaolo Manservisi going in the opposite direction. Arrigo Dolso also left (on loan to Varese).
In August, Lazio managed to top their group in the first phase of the Coppa Italia. The first match of the season was the derby, which Lazio won 1-0 with a Chinaglia goal and at least four miraculous saves from Bandoni.
Lazio started the Serie B campaign slowly, losing the first two games away from home, but from the 6th match onwards things improved. At the end of the first half of the season the Biancocelesti were third, one point behind Palermo and Ternana and two points ahead of Reggiana and Perugia.
They were now fourth, just one point behind Reggiana. The top three would be promoted.
It was a big match and Lazio really needed to win.
The match: Sunday, April 16, 1972, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The bad weather in Rome over the weekend kept a lot of fans away for this extremely delicate match against a team who in the game at Reggio Emilia had beaten the Biancocelesti but not without controversy. Giorgio Chinaglia had been sent off in the 7th minute after keeper Lamberto Boranga collapsed to the ground after the two players had exchanged words. Long John had not done anything but the ref showed him the red card. As a consequence, today the Lazio fans voiced their "appreciation and admiration" for the Reggiana keeper for the entire match.
Just to prove a point, Giuseppe Papadopulo after just 180 seconds decided to send a message and committed a brutal foul on Gian Pietro Spagnolo. After the first ten minutes Lazio took over control of the game and Giuseppe Massa was dangerous a couple of times before Giuliano Fortunato with a dangerous cross gave Boranga work to do. Shortly after, Alessandro Abbondanza shot a missile which was walled by Roberto Benincasa who then needed the intervention of the medics.
After two minutes in the second half Lazio scored. Gigi Martini crossed from the right, Massa volleyed towards the goal but it was a weak shot. Boranga however, let it go under him and the Biancocelesti were ahead.
At this point Lazio closed Reggiana in their half and had a number of chances to double the score. A Chinaglia header saved by the keeper, a Fortunato shot in the 53rd minute, a bicycle shot from Long John that shaved the crossbar, a powerful strike from Martini which the keeper saved into corner.
At this point Lazio pulled back and Reggiana took control. Giambattista Moschino deflected a shot in the 79th minute forcing Claudio Bandoni to come out of his goal to stop Roberto Stefanello who had another chance shortly after forcing the Biancoceleste keeper to parry a dangerous shot. One minute from time there was a free kick for the visitors and Giorgio Vignando shaved the post.
When referee Gonella closed the game, the fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Very important victory for the Biancocelesti now third.
Who played for Lazio
Bandoni, Facco, Papadopulo, Wilson, Polentes, Martini, Massa, Fortunato, Chinaglia, Moschino, Abbondanza (85’ Facchin)
Substitute: Di Vincenzo
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Reggiana
Boranga, Marini, Benincasa (60' Rizzati), Vignando, Barbiero, Stefanello, Spagnolo, Galletti, Zandoli, Picella, Zanon
Substitute: Bertolini
Manager: Galbiati
Referee: Gonella
Goal: 47’ Massa
What happened next
With five games to the end of the season there were five teams fighting for promotion: Palermo and Ternana 44 points, Lazio 43, Como 42 and Reggiana 41. With two games to the end, the Biancocelesti had reached second place and a week later they topped the table together with Ternana, one point ahead of Palermo and two more than Como. All Lazio needed was a point at Bari and that is exactly what happened.
The Biancocelesti were able to secure promotion thanks to an excellent attack with Chinaglia, Massa and Abbondanza, and a very strong defence with goalkeeper Bandoni and Giuseppe Wilson. The midfield was not up to par and there was the need to find better players. They would come in the following season.
Wilson was the player with most appearances this season (48), Chinaglia the top goal scorer (26 goals)
Let's talk about Franco Marini
Franco Marini was born on June 16, 1940 in Cormons, near Gorizia. A defender, he started playing football with Fedit-Roma in 1958-59 and the season after he signed for Bologna. He stayed there 5 years but he rarely played, only 16 league appearances. In 1964-65 he moved to Rome and joined Lazio. However, he made just one appearance in the whole season, in Coppa Italia. The year after he was sold to Catanzaro.
He stayed 5 years in Calabria, all in Serie B, playing 202 league games with 4 goals. In 1971-72 he signed for Reggiana. He played there another five years, again in Serie B with 136 appearances.
Once he stopped active football he became a manager coaching Reggiana from 1976 to 1980 and then Montevarchi and Imola.
Lazio Wiki pointed out that his appearance in the Coppa Italia game for Lazio, Trani Lazio 0-3 on September 6 1964, in which he substituted Vincenzo Gasperi during the first half, is absent from most archives since they mistakenly swapped him for Amos Mariani.
Lazio Career
Season | Coppa Italia Appearances |
1964-65 | 1 |
Sources
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