Di Canio leads by example as Lazio salvage draw
Two goals down at halftime, and trailing again in the second, Lazio fight back and get point
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 6th and won the Coppa Italia. This year however everything had changed. In the midst of a financial crisis new owner Claudio Lotito had cut costs, agreed a long-term deal with state debt collectors and set up a new look team.
For a start Roberto Mancini had left for Inter. A lot of the star players also said goodbye: Jaap Stam (Milan), Stefano Fiore and Bernardo Corradi (Valencia), Sinisa Mihajlovic and Giuseppe Favalli (Inter), Demetrio Albertini (Atalanta), Claudio Lopez (América -México) and Guerino Gottardi (retired).
Arriving at Lazio were players of a "slightly" different calibre, many unknown. Lotito became famous for signing nine players on one day. Some are best forgotten but the players worth mentioning were defender Sebastiano Siviglia (Parma), midfielders Antonio and Emanuele Filippini (Palermo) and forward Tommaso Rocchi (Empoli). One particularly welcome return for the fans was Paolo Di Canio after 15 years away. A move to appease the fans faced with difficult times ahead.
The new manager was former player Domenico Caso, assisted by club legend Cristiano Bergodi.
The season started with a 3-0 defeat by Milan in the Supercoppa final. In the league Lazio earned 7 points in the first 3 games, with two away wins, but then started struggling. In the next four games the Biancocelesti only managed to muster one point (away draw at Bergamo). Lazio then beat Messina 2-0 at home, but since then had only earned 5 points in 6 games and had lost the last 2. Lazio were currently joint 14th with Livorno and Reggina on 16 points, 4 above the drop zone. Things were not going well.
In the UEFA Cup Lazio had got through the first round defeating Ukrainians Metalurh Donetsk 6-0 on aggregate. They were then in a group with Villareal, Middlesbrough, Egaleo and Partizan Belgrade. The Biancocelesti had drawn 1-1 at home to the Spaniards, lost 0-2 at Middlesbrough, drawn 2-2 at home to Partizan and away at Egaleo and been eliminated.
Their Coppa Italia campaign started in November with a 1-2 away defeat at Cagliari. The return leg would be on January 13 in Rome.
A difficult season so far, but predictable with so much change and a clear reduction in squad quality.
Lecce had finished 10th under future Lazio manager Delio Rossi. The Salentini had lost twice against Lazio 1-4 and 0-1. Top scorer was Uruguayan Ernesto Chevantón with 22 goals (19 in A).
This season the manager was another Lazio connection, Zdeněk Zeman. The main new players were: keeper Vincenzo Sicignano (Parma), defenders Souleymane Diamoutene (Perugia), Massimo Paci (Ternana), midfielders Aleksej Erëmenko (HJK), Alex Pinardi (Atalanta), Samuele Dalla Bona (Milan-on loan) plus forwards Saša Bhelanović (Genoa-on loan) and Babú (Venezia).
Leaving were: defenders Sebastiano Siviglia (Lazio), Philippe Billy (Mons-on loan), Cesare Bovo (Parma-on loan), Max Tonetto (Sampdoria) and midfielder Wilfried Dalmat (Grenoble).
So far, the Giallorossi were doing well. They had won 5, drawn 5 (including Roma 2-2 and Atalanta 1-1 away and Inter 2-2 at home) and lost 4. The Lupi were currently joint 6th with Inter on 20 points.
So, a difficult game for Lazio against high flying Lecce. There were already rumours that Caso could be sacked in the case of another defeat.
The match: Saturday, December 11, 2004, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A cold Saturday evening gathered about 35,000 at the Olimpico.
Lazio were without their two regular central defenders, Fernando Couto suspended and Sebastiano Siviglia injured. They were replaced by José Talamonti and Matias Lequi. The Biancocelesti also had to do without forward Roberto Muzzi.
Lecce had no real absences.
Lazio started positively and Goran Pandev had a dangerous shot saved by Sicignano. In the 6th minute Massimo Oddo had a long-range effort parried by Vincenzo Sicignano, Tommaso Rocchi was ready for the tap-in but he was in offside.
In the 9th minute however, Lecce went ahead on a rare Angelo Peruzzi blunder. Rodney Babù hit a seemingly weak shot towards goal but the "Cinghialone" let it go under his gloves. Lazio 0 Lecce 1.
At this point Lazio disappeared from the game and the Salentini dominated. The Giallorossi always had an extra man in midfield with full backs Marco Cassetti and Erminio Rullo pushing forward down the wings.
Lecce doubled their lead in the 32nd minute. Future Lazio, Cristian Ledesma was unchallenged in midfield and verticalised to Valeri Bojinov between Talamonti and Lequi, the Bulgarian then beat Peruzzi with a cool, low finish in the far corner. Lazio 0 Lecce 2.
The Biancocelesti were down and out while the Lupi were rampant. They threatened constantly and scored again with a Bojinov bicycle kick but fortunately for Lazio it was disallowed for, if at all, a millimetric offside. Halftime came to spare Lazio any further punishment.
Lecce two goals up and in total control.
We will never know what happened in the changing rooms during the break but someone, whether Domenico Caso, Paolo Di Canio or Claudio Lotito, must have got the players fired up. The team that came out for the second 45 minutes was unrecognisable from the slow, confused and apathetic outfit which had been so bad in the first.
Lazio made one change with Anthony Seric replacing a poor Oscar Lopez.
It was not so much a tactical matter but a change in attitude and desire which saw Lazio improve.
Lazio attacked from the start while Lecce seemed content to sit back, probably thinking the hosts had been so awful they would not pose much of a threat.
Di Canio was denied by the keeper after a classy movement. In the 51st minute however the game definitely changed. In a crowded area, following an Antonio Filippini shot, Rocchi pounced and resolved the matter with a low left foot. Lazio 1 Lecce 2.
It was completely a different game now. Gone were the confident and superior visitors. They Giallorossi seemed to go into panic mode and Lazio were all over them.
It was suddenly a siege with Lazio queuing up to equalise, Rocchi in particular missed a sitter in the 59th minute. Lazio breathed a sigh of relief in the 67th minute when Zeman substituted the always dangerous Bojinov with Saša Bjelanovic. A minute earlier Lazio had replaced midfielder Ousmane Dabo with forward Simone Inzaghi. Total attack but now with a vulnerable midfield.
In the 68th minute Lazio equalised thanks to defender Souleymane Diamoutene who messed up his ball control and then clumsily tripped Rocchi up for a clear penalty. Di Canio kept his cool with a low and accurate right foot and it was 2-2.
The game was now completely open. Lazio had the enthusiasm and Inzaghi, with only Sicignano to beat, tried a lob but the keeper stood firm and caught it. Lazio were on a high and piled forward but were unbalanced tactically.
Lecce took advantage in the 75th minute. On a counterattack Babù beat Seric and, with the outside of his foot, chipped the ball over a hesitant Peruzzi. Lazio 2 Lecce 3.
Doom and gloom at the Olimpico and the end of Caso’s reign?
No. Local lad Di Canio who always wore his heart on his sleeve when playing for his boyhood club equalised again. In the 77th minute Sicignano punched away a floating freekick but Di Canio was on the rebound and from the edge of the box scored with a low right foot. Lazio 3 Lecce 3.
Both sides tried to win it until the end. Zdenek Zeman put on two more players, in the 81st minute a more attacking minded midfielder Alexsej Ermenko for Guillermo Giacomazzi and in the 89th minute striker Mirko Vučnić for midfielder Alex Pinardi. Lazio were more cautious and in the 81st threw on midfielder Christian Manfredini for forward Goran Pandev.
Lazio looked the more likely to score. It was Manfredini who set up Lazio's last big chance to snatch the win, in the 89th minute he put in a good cross but Inzaghi's header anticipated Di Canio who was in a better position and the opportunity went wasted. Di Canio was not pleased and most probably blasted the Piacentino striker with some examples of Roman dialect.
The match ended 3-3. A highly entertaining and roller coaster game.
Both sides could have won but in the end Lazio were probably more pleased than Lecce. The Biancocelesti had reacted well after a dreadful first half and showed they still had fight and passion in them. Lecce got an away draw but would be kicking themselves for not putting Lazio out of their misery in the first period.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Oddo, Talamonti, Lequi, Oscar Lopez (46' Seric), Giannichedda, Dabo (66' S. Inzaghi), A. Filippini, Pandev (81' Manfredini), Di Canio, Rocchi
Manager: Caso
Who played for Lecce
Sicignano, Cassetti, Diamoutene, Stovini, Rullo, Giacomazzi (81' Eremenko), Ledesma, Dalla Bona, Bojinov (67' Bjelanovic), Babù, Pinardi (89' Vucinic)
Substitutes: Anania, Silvestri, Paci, Marianini
Manager: Zeman
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 9' Babù, 32' Bojinov, 51' Rocchi, 68' Di Canio (pen), 75' Babù, 77' Di Canio
What happened next
Lazio lost the next game 0-3 at Udinese. At the holiday break the Biancocelesti were 15th and looking very much like strong relegation candidates. They thus changed managers from Caso to former player Giuseppe Papadopulo.
His first game on January 6 was the derby and it was an unexpected 3-1 triumph, with Di Canio (16 years after his previous derby goal), César and Rocchi the scorers. Lazio then, on the waves of enthusiasm, won 3-2 away in Florence. They then slumped to four defeats and a draw (Palermo, Sampdoria, Reggina, Milan and Brescia) before three consecutive wins (Atalanta, Chievo and Parma) gave them some oxygen. Some more bad results followed but ultimately wins against Livorno at home and Bologna away and draws against Roma, Fiorentina and Palermo took Lazio to an agonised survival. Lazio finished 13th and top scorer was Rocchi with 17 goals (13 in A). Lazio then even qualified for the Intertoto Cup due to Livorno and Messina dropping out for various reasons
In Coppa Italia Lazio went straight out to Cagliari on away goals (1-2 in Sardinia, 3-2 in Rome).
A problematic first season under new owner Claudio Lotito but things could have gone even worse.
Lecce had another good season although they could not keep up their early pace and finished 11th. The Salentini then won 5 (including Lazio 5-3), drew 8 and lost 10. Top scorer was Mirko Vucinic with 19 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus but they had the title taken away from them due to the Calciopoli scandal. The title went unawarded. The three teams going down were all northern: Bologna, Brescia and Atalanta.
Let’s talk about Fabrizio Casazza
Fabrizio Casazza was born in Genoa, on September 16, 1970.
He came through the Sampdoria youth sector and joined the first team squad in 1987-88 but did not make his debut under Vujadin Boskov. The Blucerchiati won the Coppa Italia.
In 1988 he was sent to Biellese on loan in the 5th tier. He played 1 league game for the Biella.
In 1989-90 he was back at Sampdoria but again made no appearances under Boskov. The Blucerchiati won the Cup Winners Cup.
In 1990-91 he spent a season at Fidelis Andria on loan in C1. The "Leoni Azzurri" finished 5th under Franco Vannini but Casazza only played 1 league game.
He then joined Pro Sesto in Serie C1 and finally started playing regularly. He stayed three seasons and the Biancocelesti finished 15th, 8th and 6th. Casazza made 73 league appearances.
In 1994 he moved to Verona in Serie B and stayed two seasons. The Scaligeri finished 10th and 2nd (promoted to A under Attilio Perotti). Casazza played 47 league games. His teammates included Lazio connections Marco Di Vaio (1991-95) and Marco Baroni (current Lazio manager).
In 1996 he joined Torino and stayed three seasons. The Granata had just been relegated to Serie B. Toro finished 9th, 5th and 2nd (promoted under Emiliano Mondonico). Casazza played 50 league games. His teammates included Lazio connections Roberto Cravero (1992-95), Roberto Bacci (1990-95), Mauro Bonomi (1992-95). His managers included former Lazio player Giancarlo Camolese (1986-88) and future Lazio manager Edy Reja (2010-12, 2014).
In 1999-2000 he spent a season at Venezia in Serie A. The Lagunari finished 16th and relegated under three different managers: Luciano Spalletti (1-8, 12-20, Giuseppe Materazzi (9-11) and Francesco Oddo (21-34). Casazza played 14 league games.
In 2000 he returned to Sampdoria in Serie B and stayed three seasons. The Blucerchiati finished 6th, 10th and 2nd (promoted under Walter Novellino). Casazza played 10 league games as the main keeper was first Matteo Sereni (Lazio 2003-06, 2006-07), then Luca Mondini and finally Luigi Turci. His teammates included Lazio connections; Alessandro Grandoni (1995-98), Attilio Lombardo (1999-2001), Dario Marcolin (1992-93, 1995-99, 1999-2000), Guglielmo Stendardo (2005-08, 2009-12) and Fabio Bazzani (2005).
In 2003 Casazza signed for Lazio and stayed two seasons. The manager in his first season was Roberto Mancini and despite huge financial problems Lazio finished 6th (UEFA Cup) and won the Coppa Italia (Juventus 4-2 on aggregate). Casazza however was 3rd keeper behind Angelo Peruzzi and Matteo Sereni and made no appearances.
The following was a difficult season. Cragnotti had left and Claudio Lotito was the new owner, inheriting huge debts. The squad was downgraded with several unknown players coming in. The manager was first Mimmo Caso (1-16) and then Giuseppe Papadopulo (17-38). Lazio survived and the highlight was defeating Roma in an epic 3-1 triumph. Casazza was still 3rd choice and played 3 league games and 1 in the UEFA Cup.
In 2005-06 Marco Ballotta returned to Lazio and Casazza moved on joining Pavia for a season in Serie C1. The Azzurri finished 4th under Marco Torresani. Casazza played 50 league games. His teammates included future Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi (2018-22).
In January 2007 Casazza joined Udinese in Serie A. The manager was Alberto Malesani and the Friulani finished 10th. The first keeper was Morgan De Sanctis backed up by Gabriele Paoletti and Casazza only made 1 league appearance.
After Udine he had brief spells at Calcio Caravaggese (Bergamo) and Virtus Entella (Chiavari, GE) before retiring at 41.
In the last few years of his career, he was already doing some goalkeeper coaching. He had stints at Bolzanetese (2008-09), Virtus Entella (2009-13).
He then worked with Savona (2015-17) with a brief period as assistant manager too and with Savona keepers again (2018-20).
Since 2020 he has been goalkeeper coach with the Sampdoria women's team who play in Serie A.
Casazza was a goalkeeper and he had a decent career. He was not particularly tall at 1.79 but was agile and reliable. He played for some big clubs: Lazio, Torino, Sampdoria and Verona. He won a Cup Winners Cup and a Coppa Italia with Sampdoria and two promotions to Serie A with Verona and Torino.
At Lazio he was third choice keeper and only played 4 times but had the satisfaction of winning the Coppa Italia in 2004.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Europa League |
2004-05 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Sources
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