A scandal
One of the biggest refereeing scandals in Lazio’s history. Gino Menicucci denies Lazio a deserved win and allows Udinese to draw. President Giorgio Chinaglia has to be restrained by several Lazio staff members.
Also on this day: December 18, 1966, Lazio Inter 1-0. A splendid goal from D’Amato gives the Biancocelesti two points over the current champions. Player of the day: Vito D'Amato
The season so far
The previous year, thanks to the old guard – Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia and Vincenzo D’Amico – Lazio was able to secure promotion after three years from the harsh and unjust relegation due to the first Calcio Scommesse betting scandal.
During the summer Giorgio Chinaglia, the 1974 Lazio scudetto hero, took over the club. Chinaglia had left the Biancocelesti to play for New York Cosmos in the mid 1970s and his return was the dream of all of the Lazio fans. Claiming to have large sums of money to invest, Long John was welcomed like a Messiah, the one who would take Lazio back to the highest levels.
He confirmed Giancarlo Morrone as manager, and brought in some of his former team mates: Nello Governato as Sporting Director, Felice Pulici as General Manager and Renato Ziaco, the famous team doctor of the 1974 team, back in his former role.
The team went through a revolution. Thirteen players were sold and the first two Lazio foreign players since the opening to non-Italians were Michael Laudrup, on loan from Juventus, and Brazilian International Joao Batista.
There was great hope, but, with very few exceptions, Lazio was disappointing. In the first 12 games Lazio won three times (including beating Inter 3-0), drew twice and lost all the remaining matches. Morrone was fired, and replaced by Paolo Carosi, another former Lazio player, on the eve of this game.
The match: Sunday, December 18, Rome, Stadio Olimpico
It’s very, very wet (I remember having to wear various layers of clothing to keep dry!!!), gloomy and cold. Bruno Giordano was injured and Batista suspended. D’Amico, as will often happen in moments of crisis, took Lazio by the hand. A win would be absolutely fundamental.
Carosi had just arrived so Lazio did not really have much of a game plan. However, Udinese was completely absent so the Biancocelesti took advantage. Zico fouled Claudio Vinazzani 30 meters from the Udinese goal in the 19th minute and D’Amico took the free kick. His marvellous shot made it 1-0 for Lazio.
Udinese did not react and Lazio made it two. In the 36th minute D’Amico dribbled past a number of Udinese players and sent the ball in the penalty box. Angelo Cupini was ready to volley it in to make it 2-0.
Lazio was in control but along came Menicucci. Five minutes later he sent Gabriele Podavini off for having allegedly offended the linesman. The Lazio right back swears, to this day, that all he did was to say to the linesman that it was not a corner. And that he did insult somebody, but is was a team mate! Lazio was however down to ten men.
In the second half Lazio pulled back to defend and Udinese had numerous chances to score. Luigi De Agostini hit the crossbar in the 78th minute and a few seconds later Edinho’s shot from outside the box went under a number of legs and into the back of the net. Menicucci then decided he wanted to be the absolute protagonist of the show and frustrated the Lazio players with countless controversial decisions. It was rumoured that there was bad blood between the Florentine ref and Chinaglia before the match, so perhaps this explains the hostility.
Lazio seemed to cope defensively but then in injury time Udinese was awarded a free kick. Vinazzani was the only player forming the wall but Menicucci walked up and stood directly in front of him, not allowing the Lazio player to counter the cross. Edinho had all the time in the world and a clear path to send in the cross and Pietro Paolo Virdis equalised.
Chinaglia, who was nervously watching the game from the players entrance, at the final whistle stormed furiously onto the pitch screaming at Menicucci, brandishing his umbrella, ready to take justice in his own hands. He was blocked with great difficulty, held back by his friend and legendary Lazio busdriver Alfredo Recchia.
“It’s a scandal. Everybody saw what happened on the pitch. Referees who make fun of so many fans should not be allowed to ref”, he will say the end of match. “I have never seen anything like this in all my years in football”.
Who played for Lazio
Cacciatori, Filisetti, Podavini, Manfredonia, Miele, Spinozzi, Cupini (61’ Piga), Vinazzani, D’Amico (89’ Della Martira), Laudrup, Piraccini
Manager: Carosi
Who played for Udinese
Brini, Galparoli, Cattaneo (46' Pradella), Gerolin, Edinho, De Agostini, Causio, Mauro II, Miano (70' A.Marchetti), Zico, Virdis.
Substitutes: Borin, Dominissini, Danelutti.
Manager: E. Ferrari.
Referee: Menicucci
Goals: 19’ D’Amico, 36’ Cupini, 78’ Edinho, 90’ Virdis
The number of past and future famous players playing this day for Udinese is very interesting. Edinho was part of the Brazil team that came third in Argentina in 1978. De Agostini will go on to play for Juventus and win a Uefa Cup in 1990 and be part of the Italy 1990 World Cup squad that came third. The “Barone” (Baron) Franco Causio, World Champion at the time, had won practically everything for Juventus in the 1970s and participated in the 1978 and 1982 World Cup. Virdis had won two scudetti with Juventus and will go on to win another with Milan as well as a European Cup. And there is Zico who, at that time, together with Diego Maradona and Michel Platini, was one of the greatest players in world football. He won virtually everything there was to win with Flamengo and was part of the Brazilian National Team in the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cup.
What happened next
Things went from bad to worse. In the next match at Ascoli, Giordano broke his leg following a ruthless tackle by Antonio Bogoni (who was not even booked). Lazio fell into despair, losing the Ascoli match as well as the next one at home against Pisa.
Lazio had only nine points after the first half of the season. Carosi realised that he must do something and he put his faith in the players with greater experience. Life without probably one of the best centre forwards in Europe would not be easy and there was no backup plan. At this point D’Amico and Manfredonia took matters in their own hands and stepped up to lead the team.
Lazio started adding points. In the first six games of the second half of the season they beat Genoa and Sampdoria at home and drew against Verona, Inter away (thanks to a Walter Zenga howler) and a dramatic derby 2-2.
Just when things were looking brighter, Lazio faltered again. The last four games became fundamental. Fortunately Giordano came back in record time. The week before the unlucky defeat against Fiorentina, a rumour spread that Lazio’s star player might be on the bench and possibly play the final minutes. Ten thousand fans travelled to Florence (including us!) in the hope of seeing their captain play. He came on with 20 minutes to go and this was the best possible news for Lazio.
The following match against Napoli saw Giordano regain his place in the centre of the Lazio attack. It took him just 30 seconds to score and the Biancocelesti managed to win the game 3-2. There was still hope.
Lazio then lost at Udine and in the final two games of the season needed three points to stay in Serie A. A win against Ascoli at home and a draw against Pisa with a Giordano double allowed Lazio to stay in Serie A.
“We will never suffer like this again”, said Chinaglia at the end of Pisa-Lazio. Alas, this was only the beginning of the suffering.
Lazio 1983-84
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 35 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 35 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 38 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Vinazzani | 33 | 28 | 5 |
Spinozzi | 32 | 27 | 5 |
Manfredonia | 31 | 26 | 5 |
Batista | 30 | 25 | 5 |
D'Amico | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 8 | 8 | - |
D'Amico | 8 | 7 | 1 |
Giordano | 8 | 8 | - |
Manfredonia | 4 | 4 | - |
Cupini | 3 | 3 | - |
Let’s talk about Angelo Cupini
One of the protagonists of Lazio’s 1983-1984 season was certainly Angelo Cupini. Generous, tough and dynamic, Cupini stayed for only a year but is still remembered with affection.
Born in Ortonovo on September 18, 1958, Cupini started his footballing career in the youth team of Carrarese and played his first professional seasons in Serie D and C2. In 1978 he moved to Udinese in Serie A but his rise to Serie A glory was short-lived since the next year he was back in Serie B with Vicenza. He was not there for long and after 5 games in the autumn transfer window he was back where he started at Carrara.
In 1981 he signed for Cavese in Serie B where he began to show his qualities. Chinaglia bought him in 1983 and he played 29 games for Lazio in the dramatic 1983-84 season. He scored three goals: one against Inter, one against Udinese and the decisive goal against Ascoli in the final match at home which gave Lazio a crucial win, then needing just one more point in the last game to stay in Serie A.
Surprisingly, Lazio then sold him to Bari in Serie B where he stayed two years, the second in Serie A. He then moved back to Serie C1 and played for Padova, Prato and Arezzo before closing his career in Serie D with Pro Gorizia.
He later became a manager and worked in minor teams in the Friuli area.
He died, aged only 58, in Udine on September 13, 2017.
Appearances and goals for Lazio
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1983-84 | 29 (3) | 24 (3) | 5 |
Sources
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