Much needed win
Thanks to Sacco, Bartu and Rozzoni Lazio beat Cagliari and move to safer waters
The season so far
The previous season had been rather dismal. Lazio struggled all year and were involved in the relegation battle. With five games to the end of the campionato they were 16th, one point below safety. Three consecutive wins then took them out of trouble. They finished 14th just one point above relegated Genoa.
The summer transfer window saw more goodbyes than arrivals. Eugenio Fascetti was sold to Messina and Gianni Sassaroli to Avellino. In came midfielder Giovanni Sacco (on loan from Juventus) and forward Nicola Ciccolo. Orlando Rozzoni returned from his loan to Catania. In the autumn session Kurt Christiansen (Catania), Gianfranco Petris and Giampaolo Piaceri (both to Trani) also left. Carlo Galli had retired. Manager Umberto Mannocci had been confirmed.
At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were 12th, three points clear of the relegation zone. They had won the away derby with a Vito D’Amato goal. The Biancocelesti had struggled a bit in the second half of the season but had won away against Milan 2-0 after the game was suspended twice due to fog. They were currently 12th with a five-point lead over the relegation zone.
The match: Sunday, April 24, 1966, Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Lazio had to substitute the injured Vito D’Amato and Nicola Ciccolo and manager Mannocci decided to throw in Can Bartu and Orlando Rozzoni, players that had not been used much during the season.
The Biancocelesti wanted both points and they made this clear right from the very beginning. The midfield was playing well and Rozzoni more than once tried to get Lazio ahead but without much luck. In the 29th minute, Bartu received the ball from the defence and moved forward, he dribbled past a couple of players and passed to Sacco on the right. Big whack and the Biancocelesti went ahead. Rozzoni missed another chance almost immediately after, but the fans encouraged him incessantly.
In the 56th minute, Sacco to Antonio Renna, cross in the middle of the box, Bartu volleyed, Lazio 2 Cagliari 0. Once the double advantage was taken, the team moved back in defence and let the Islanders go forward. It was a mistake. In the 82nd minute Gallardo reduced the deficit and Lazio went into a panic for a few minutes until the 89th minute when Bartu passed to Rozzoni who dribbled past Miguel Longo and beat Pietro Pianta.
Great win for Lazio.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Mannocci
Who played for Cagliari
Pianta, Martiradonna, Longoni, Visentin, Vescovi, Longo, Gallardo, Rizzo, Nené, Greatti, Riva
Manager: Silvestri
Referee: Orlando
Goals: 29’ Sacco, 56’ Bartu, 82’ Gallardo, 89’ Rozzoni
What happened next
After this game the team threw in the towel and in the last five matches earned just one point. Lazio finished the campionato in 12th place, a better season than the previous one but not exactly eye opening.
Giampiero Vitali was the player with most appearances (37) and D’Amato the top scorer with 7 goals.
Lazio 1965-66
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 28 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | 4 |
Total | 37 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 32 |
Top five appearances
Players | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Vitali | 37 | 34 | 3 |
Zanetti | 36 | 34 | 2 |
Dotti | 35 | 32 | 3 |
D'Amato | 34 | 31 | 3 |
Pagni | 33 | 31 | 2 |
Cei | 33 | 30 | 3 |
Top goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
D'Amato | 7 | 7 | - |
Ciccolo | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Renna | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Let's talk about Giovanni Sacco
Giovanni Sacco was born on September 24, 1943 in San Damiano d’Asti, near Asti, north of Turin. He was a product of the Juventus youth sector and debuted in Serie A on December 9, 1962 against Palermo. After three years playing for the Bianconeri, in which he won a Coppa Italia in 1965 and a Cup of the Alps in 1963, he was loaned to Lazio in 1965 in order to get more playing time. He did not do too badly in a mediocre team and played 19 games with three goals.
In the next season he went back to Turin and stayed another three years, winning a scudetto in 1966-67. In total with the Bianconeri he made 84 league appearances with 1 goal. In 1969 he signed for Atalanta in Serie B and stayed for four years, contributing to their promotion in 1970-71. After the Bergamaschi were relegated in 1973, he moved to Reggiana in Serie B and played for three more years before retiring.
After he quit active football he became a manager, coaching teams in the north-west of Italy such as Imperia, Pro Vercelli, Asti, Savona, Casale and Aosta.
He died on December 17 2020 in San Damiano d’Asti from complications due to Covid 19.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1965-66 | 19 (3) | 18 (3) | 1 |
Sources
留言