Miracle draw
Two-nil down, the Biancocelesti snatch a miraculous draw with two goals in five minutes
Also on this day: December 2, 2001, Lecce Lazio 1-2. A Crespo penalty and an Inzaghi goal in four minutes were enough to win away against a good Lecce. Player of the day: Hernan Crespo
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had avoided relegation by drawing 2-2 in the last game at Pisa. They had fought all season, changed manager from Giancarlo Morrone to Paolo Carosi, lost their star striker Bruno Giordano due to injury for many months, but in the end a Giordano double allowed Lazio to stay in Serie A.
“We will never suffer like this again”, said President Giorgio Chinaglia at the end of Pisa-Lazio.
But the club still had debts and it did not look like anybody in the US would come to the rescue. Chinaglia had a plan though. He was going to sell Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia, settle the debts and start building the club and team.
Giorgio in 1984 sold the Lazio golden boys to Juventus in exchange for money and a number of players. Giordano was going to be substituted by Massimo Briaschi who would be bought by Juventus from Genoa and given to Lazio. Once this deal was done, it was going to be Manfredonia’s turn.
First problem: Briaschi had no intention of coming to Lazio. Chinaglia offered him an amazing salary but he was not interested. Juventus would have offered Aldo Serena as a replacement but he also refused. Second problem: Juventus offered Giordano a lower wage compared to what he got at Lazio. Juve had a policy of low salaries but rich bonuses, but Giordano refused. At this point both deals failed and the two stayed in Rome. But this meant that all Chinaglia’s plans for a better team also collapsed. A few players were signed but they were not all that great: forward Oliviero Garlini (Cesena), defenders Massimo Storgato (Verona) and Arturo Vianello (Pisa) and midfielder Fortunato Torrisi (Catania). Ernesto Calisti returned from his loan to Cavese. Leaving Lazio were Angelo Cupini (Bari), Mauro Meluso (Cremonese), Mario Piga (Palermo), Rinaldo Piraccini (Pistoiese) and Massimo Piscedda (loan to Taranto).
The season started in August with the Coppa Italia. Lazio had not done too badly and were almost through to the second stage. The last game was against Roma. A point each would have meant that they would both go through. But a ridiculous penalty given to Roma and an Antonio Di Carlo goal gave Roma the win. Lazio could still have got to the round of 16 anyway on goal difference. Genoa had to beat Pistoiese 5-0 to overtake Lazio and unfortunately this is exactly what happened with three goals in the last 8 minutes. The Biancocelesti were out and Chinaglia was furious. His temper did not improve after Lazio lost the first Serie A game against Fiorentina and most certainly not after losing 5-0 against Zico’s Udinese. He blamed Carosi for being too soft with the players and sacked him. Juan Carlos Lorenzo was called in his place.
Juan Carlos Lorenzo had been Lazio manager when Chinaglia joined in the 60's and he was very fond of him. However, Lorenzo was past his prime, as far as managerial style was concerned. The beginning was comforting, a draw against Diego Maradona’s Napoli and Roma, a couple of wins, maybe Chinaglia was right after all. Lazio were 13th, one point clear of the relegation zone.
The match: Sunday, December 2, 1984, Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
The game was immediately uphill for Lazio. In the 3rd minute Trevor Francis crossed from the left for Alessandro Scanziani who stopped the ball and shot from an impossible angle. Fernando Orsi parried, the ball went up in the air and after a header arrived perfectly to Roberto Mancini who beat the Lazio goalkeeper for Sampdoria’s lead.
The Biancocelesti reacted and had a couple of shots by Giordano and Vincenzo D’Amico saved by Ivano Bordon. But in the 19th minute it was 2-0. Mancini tried a shot from outside the box on the right, Orsi saved, but Fausto Salsano headed the ball in.
Sampdoria were dominating. Mancini missed an easy chance and in the 36th minute Orsi saved a Francis shot and did so again shortly after. Manfredonia then had to save a goal on the line too following a Mancini attempt.
In the second half, Doria stopped playing and allowed the Biancocelesti to move forward. Lorenzo made two decisive substitutions. Massimo Storgato took Daniele Filisetti’s place and Francesco Dell’Anno came on for D’Amico. Not a good game from Lazio’s former golden boy. The Biancocelesti found more stability on the pitch and Gabriele Podavini and twice Michael Laudrup had chances to reduce the deficit.
In the 78th minute Lazio scored. Freekick for the Biancocelesti, Giordano crossed into the box, Podavini headed towards the centre, Laudrup volleyed towards the goal and Calisti managed to head the ball in.
Samp fell further back and Lazio equalised. In the 83rd minute long ball from Fortunato Torrisi for Joao Batista on the right, Pietro Vierchowod was unable to stop the Brazilian who beat Bordon with a clinical shot.
A great and unexpected point for the Biancocelesti.
Who played for Sampdoria
Bordon, M. Mannini, L. Pellegrini, F. Pari, Vierchowod, Renica, Scanziani, Souness, Francis, Salsano, R. Mancini (75' Vialli).
Substitutes: Bocchino, Galia, Casagrande, Beccalossi.
Manager: Bersellini.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Vianello, Podavini, Calisti, Batista, Filisetti (46’ Storgato), D’Amico (63’ Dell’Anno), Torrisi, Giordano, Laudrup, Manfredonia
Substitutes: Cacciatori, Marini, Garlini
Manager: Lorenzo
Referee: Lanese
Goals: 3’ Mancini, 19’ Salsano, 78’ Calisti, 83’ Batista
What happened next
After this match Lazio lost seven consecutive games. Then, after a goalless draw at home against Ascoli, the Biancocelesti lost 4-0 against Napoli and that was the end of Lorenzo. In came Giancarlo Oddi and Bob Lovati and Lazio managed to not lose for a month, but neither win. Serie B was inevitable.
Lazio were relegated despite having a team with Michael Laudrup, Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Joao Batista and Vincenzo D’Amico.
Laudrup and Orsi were the players with most appearances (35), Giordano the top scorer with 8 goals.
Lazio 1984-85
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 16 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Total | 35 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 24 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Orsi | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Manfredonia | 32 | 27 | 5 |
Giordano | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Calisti | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Filisetti | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Top Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Giordano | 8 | 5 | 3 |
D'Amico | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Podavini | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Let's talk about Ernesto Calisti
Ernesto Calisti was born in Rome on July 25, 1965. He started playing football in the Lazio youth teams and was very highly regarded. A fast right back, he could be devastating on the wing. The club sent him to Cava de’ Tirreni on loan for the 1983-84 season and he did well, appearing in 23 games for Cavese. Back in Rome for the 1984-85 season he debuted in Serie A at Ascoli on October 7.
It was a terrible year for Lazio, who due to manager Lorenzo's antics, finished second bottom and were relegated.
Calisti stayed the following season too in Serie B but suffered a severe injury on April 27, 1986, in the game against Monza which kept him out of football for over a year. In 1987 he was sold to Fiorentina and he stayed two years in Florence but he rarely played. In 1989 he signed for Verona and in the five years there he made 102 appearances.
From 1994 onwards he played only in minor teams (Narnese, Viterbese, Gualdo, Frosinone, Casertana, Rieti, Latina and Tivoli) before retiring at 39. He then tried to become a manager but with little success.
Calisti had a great future laahead of him. He even had 6 caps with the Italian Under-21 national team. The road was paved for him to become a great player. But luck was not on his side.
Lazio Career
Season | Total apperances (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1984-85 | 30 (1) | 25 (1) | - | 5 |
1985-86 | 28 | - | 23 | 5 |
Total | 58 (1) | 25 (1) | 23 | 10 |
Sources
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