Lazio let Vicenza off lightly despite 4 goal thrashing
Lazio buried Vicenza with 4 goals but it could have been more, many more.
Also on this day: December 21, 1975, Lazio Cagliari 3-0. Three goals by Garlaschelli, Chinaglia and D'Amico give Lazio easy win. Player of the day: Stefano Di Chiara
The season so far
The previous season had seen Dino Zoff take over from Zdenek Zeman in January and earn a 4th place finish. Giuseppe Signori's 15 goals had helped Lazio conquer a UEFA Cup place and make it a positive season.
This year however there had been big changes. Lazio had a new manager in Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, who arrived in the summer from Sampdoria, while Signori, the goal scoring machine and fan's idol, had gone in the opposite direction in the autumn and joined Sampdoria.
There had been other major changes to the squad too. In had come goalkeeper Marco Ballotta (Reggiana), full back Giuseppe Pancaro (Cagliari), midfielders Matias Almeyda (Sevilla) and Vladimir Jugovic (Juventus) plus forwards Alen Boksic (back from Juventus) and Roberto Mancini (Sampdoria).
The players who left were South-African defender Mark Fish (Bolton), Roberto Baronio (on loan to today's opposition Vicenza ), Alessandro Iannuzzi (Lecce) and forwards Marco Di Vaio (Salernitana) and Igor Protti (Napoli on loan).
As mentioned, in the autumn market session club hero Signori and Renato Buso (Piacenza) also said goodbye.
The season so far had been a mixed bag. Lazio had won 5 (including an epic 3-1 derby win in 10 men), drawn 3 (including away points at Milan and Inter) and lost 4 (including home defeats against Atalanta and Udinese). They were slightly off the top places, with 18 points.
Vicenza, on the other hand, had a triumphant 1996-97 season. They had come 8th in the league and above all had won a historic Coppa Italia. Led by manager Francesco Guidolin they had lifted their first ever silverware.
Guidolin had obviously been confirmed, as had top scorer Marcello Otero (13 goals). There had however been some changes to the cup winning squad. New arrivals included defenders Francesco Coco (Milan), Lorenzo Stovini (Roma), midfielders Massimo Ambrosini (Milan on loan), Roberto Baronio (Lazio on loan), Marco Schenardi (Bologna), Lamberto Zauli (Ravenna) plus forwards Arturo Di Napoli (Inter) and Pasquale Luiso (Piacenza).
Leaving Vicenza were defenders Giovanni Lopez (Lazio), Luigi Sartor (Inter), midfielders Giampiero Maini (Milan), Maurizio Rossi (Lecce) and Pierre Wome (Lucchese) plus striker Roberto Murgita (Piacenza).
A player of interest was definitely Massimo Ambrosini. He would go on to captain Milan, winning 2 Champions Leagues and 4 scudetti and playing 326 games for the Rossoneri, plus 35 Italy caps. Another player worth mentioning is Fabio Firmani who would later spend many years at Lazio, although with only 37 appearances and 3 goals. Domenico Di Carlo would become a much-respected manager (Parma, Chievo, Sampdoria and Vicenza amongst others).
Vicenza, in the meantime, had become the first foreign owned club in Italy, being controlled by English ENIC.
Their season had started in August with a 3-0 defeat in the Super Coppa against Juventus, in Turin. In the league they had won 5 (including away at Milan), drawn 3 (including away at Roma) and lost 3. So, they came down to Rome on 18 points, the same as today's rivals Lazio.
The match: Sunday, December 21, 1997, Rome, Stadio Olimpico
With both teams tied on 18 points the game had an important feel to it. This direct clash would perhaps give a clearer idea on the two teams realistic aspirations for the season.
Lazio had only earned 4 Points in the last 4 games and were without Pavel Nedved. Vicenza also had some absences, especially in defence and came from a bruising 5-1 home defeat against Fiorentina. It is fair to say neither team came into the match buzzing with confidence.
Lazio came out strongly backed by a good home crowd. They were already ahead after six minutes. A precise Roberto Mancini cross from a free kick was headed in by Pierluigi Casiraghi, not without some help from a hesitant Vicenza keeper. This however would be Brivio's only mistake of an otherwise excellent performance.
Lazio had several more opportunities especially with Croatian Alen Boksic while Vicenza had their only real chance of the game with Viviano but his shot was blocked by Giuseppe Favalli. A key game changer came just before halftime when Vicenza defender Lorenzo Stovini (ex Roma youth player) was shown a second yellow card (the first it must be said had been rather harsh) for hacking down Mancini in midfield. So, after 45 minutes Lazio were 1-0 up and the Veneti were down to 10 men.
The second half was predictably dominated by Lazio who had a series of close efforts with Casiraghi, Mancini and twice Boksic. A goal was in the air and it came in the form of a bullet by Diego Fuser. In the 63rd minute he hammered the ball into the roof of the net from just inside the box. If Fuser's was a bullet, what came seven minutes later can only be described as a cannonball. Giorgio Venturin, who had only just come on the field, tried his luck from an unearthly distance (locals would say " da sotto casa", from outside his house), his powerful shot flew at an incredible speed and ended up in the top hand corner. A cracking goal, what Italians call a "Euro gol" and it was 3-0.
After a Mancini free kick, brilliantly saved by Brivio, there was still time for another goal. In the first minute of stoppage time Giuseppe Pancaro's perfectly dosed cross was headed in by Boksic to make it 4-0.
A convincing win for Lazio. The fact that Vicenza's keeper was by far their best player says it all about Lazio’s superiority on the day. It was a big win for Lazio but it could have been worse for Vicenza, a lot worse.
Lazio looked to the future with more optimism. The defensive duo Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Negro was combining well and the attack was creating chances and scoring. For Vicenza meanwhile, it was a bit of a reality check and confirmed the alarm bells still echoing from a week earlier.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Pancaro, Nesta, Negro, Favalli, Fuser, Almeyda (62' Venturin), Jugovic (82' Marcolin), R.Mancini (83' Rambaudi), Casiraghi, Boksic
Manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson
Who played for Vicenza
Brivio, Stovini, Dicara, Canals, Beghetto, Schenardi (82' Firmani), Di Carlo, Ambrosini, Ambrosetti (72' Maspero), Viviani, Luiso (85' Di Napoli)
Substitutes: Falcioni, Baronio, Zauli, Otero
Manager: Guidolin
Referee: Bolognino
Goals: 6' Casiraghi, 63' Fuser, 70' Venturin, 91' Boksic
What happened next
Lazio's good form continued for much of the year. Lazio challenged for the title until a precise date, April 5. They played leaders Juventus, got beaten 1-0 and never recovered. In the last 6 matches they managed to muster only one point and ended up in a disappointing 7th place.
Strange but true however it turned out to be a season to remember. They beat hated city rivals 4 times! Twice in the league and twice in the Coppa Italia, a record which has yet to be rivaled.
They also had an excellent European campaign. They reached the UEFA Cup Final in Paris. A tired Lazio were however well beaten 3-0 by Ronaldo's Inter.
It was in the domestic cup, the Coppa Italia, that they lived their finest hour. They knocked out Fidelis Andria, Napoli, Roma (4-1, 2-1) and in the semifinal Juventus (1-0, 2-2).
The final against Milan was also still played over two legs, home and away. The first went to Milan 1-0 with an 89th minute George Weah winner. The return match in Rome seemed to be heading in Milan's favour too when a Demetrio Albertini freekick put the Rossoneri 1-0 up in the begining of the second half. But in just ten minutes the Biancocelesti turned the final around. Goals by Gottardi, Jugovic (pen) and Nesta gave Lazio a dramatic 3-1 victory and after 30 years gave the Biancocelesti long awaited silverware.
So, a European Final, 4 derby wins and a domestic cup after thirty years definitely made it a season to cherish.
Vicenza meanwhile, despite defeating Lazio in the return match, did not repeat the previous season's 8th place and came in 14th, just above the drop zone. They were, to be fair, probably distracted by their impressive European run. They honoured their Coppa Italia triumph by reaching the Cup Winners Cup semi-final, only losing 3-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Chelsea, due to a late goal by Italian Gianfranco Zola. So, all in all, certainly a year to remember in Vicenza's history too.
Lazio 1997-98
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 53 |
Coppa Italia | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
UEFA Cup | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
Total | 55 | 30 | 12 | 13 | 91 |
Top five appearances
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Nedved | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
Boksic | 15 | 10 | 5 | - |
10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
Signori | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Mancini | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Let's talk about Alen Boksic
Alen Boksic was born in Makarska, Croatia, on January 21, 1970. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Croatian football.
He started his career at nearby Hajduk Split. He played there for three years from 1987-1991. He made 96 appearances and scored 27 goals, also winning a Jugoslavian Cup in 1991.
In the summer of 1991 he went abroad to France and signed for Cannes in Ligue 1. He played just once for the seaside club but a year later he made the jump to bigger club Marseille along the coast. It was in Marseille that he really started to show his talent. In his only season with Marseille he scored 29 league goals in 37 appearances. A phenomenal achievement making him France's top scorer and helping to win the league title (then taken away for match fixing scandal). Marseille also lifted the pre-champions league European Cup beating Milan in the final in Munich. Boksic was a candidate for the prestigious Golden Ball award and came fourth (behind winner Roberto Baggio, Denis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona).
In November 1993 Boksic moved to Italy. He was signed by ambitious Lazio for 15 billion Lire (approx. 8 million Euros). At Lazio he would play for three seasons (1993-1996). He played 80 games and scored 19 times. He impressed but the Lazio manager was Zdenek Zeman, particularly renowned for his tough training methods. Boksic was said to not willingly accept these sessions and perhaps didn't show his full potential.
In 1996 Boksic moved up north to Italian giants Juventus. With the Bianconeri he won the Intercontinental Club Cup, the European Super Cup and the Scudetto. He also played in the Champions League final loss to Borussia Dortmund. He only scored 7 goals in Turin, with 4 coming in the Champions League. He was criticised for not being clinical enough in front of goal and he also suffered several injuries. As it was he returned to Lazio in 1997, after only one season up north. Lazio re-signed him for 25 billion Lire (approx. 13 million Euros) so not exactly a masterpiece of economic strategy. The fact was Boksic wanted to return and Lazio were glad to have him back, even at double the price.
Back in the capital Boksic would then have possibly his best season so far, scoring 10 goals in Serie A. Lazio fought for the title until April and won the Coppa Italia. Towards the end of the season, however, Boksic got injured again and was forced to miss the 1998 World Cup in France (Croatia came 3rd).
In the following season Boksic was again hindered by physical problems but Lazio won the European Cup Winners Cup in Birmingham. The following year he and Lazio won the biggest prize of all, the Scudetto. In total Boksic played six years at Lazio over two spells. He played 115 games for Lazio in Serie A and scored 31 goals, plus 15 appearances in Coppa Italia with 8 goals, 10 in Champions League with one goal, 3 in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup with one goal and finally 14 in the UEFA Cup with 2 goals.
After some problems with Lazio manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, in the summer of 2000 Boksic signed for Middlesbrough, in the English Premier League. He would play in North Yorkshire for three years totalling 68 games with 22 goals. He was said to earn the highest wages in the whole league and this fact, along with his aloof and solitary character, never enabled him to completely fit in. Despite this he did have some highs on the banks of the River Tee. He scored some decisive derby goals and helped Boro stay in the Premier League. He showed flashes of his masterclass but ultimately left a feeling of unfulfilled possibilities in the North-East and in England.
In 2003 Boksic retired from football. Injuries and lack of motivation led him to call it a day at 33. He had been a great player but could have been outstanding.
At International level he earned 40 Caps for Croatia and scored 10 goals. He was unlucky that his only World Cup Finals appearance came in the twilight of his career in 2002, when the Croatian team of that generation were also past their peak.
Boksic was a modern attacker. He was 1.89 metres tall, physically strong and dynamic. He would drop from the box, switch flanks, attract and disorientate defenders with his runs, accelerations and dribbling. Running at defenders at full force he was devastating. He had power and skill enabling him to open up defences and give depth to his team. He was never a 20-plus goal striker (except for his season at Marseille) but all his other attributes made up for his lack of efficiency in front of goal. When he did score however they were often quality, he was no tap-in goal scorer.
There was and always will be a sense that with his talent, technique and physical prowess Boksic could have done more, a lot more. Early in his career he had been compared to Marco Van Basten, in the way he could do it all. Without injuries and perhaps a different mindset Boksic could have been one of the all-time greats.
At Lazio he was called the 'L'Alieno' (The Alien) obviously for his name but also for his aloofness and extra-terrestrial qualities. When I witnessed his debut for Lazio I thought he might well be from another planet, he was that good. In his six years in Rome he scored some memorable goals; lobs, chips, headers, powerful strikes, you name it he scored them. He scored in derbies and a crucial goal in the Cup Winners Cup Semi-final against Lokomotiv Moscow. In Rome too however, he left a feeling of what could have been. He was physically strong (when not injured anyway...) but probably not mentally. He was considered a bit of a rebel and was solitary (he has since bought an island off Croatia), not mixing as well as the others in the squad. He disliked some of the training methods, didn't play with even the most minor niggle and was once even rumoured to have refused to play because his shirt was too tight!
He will however be remembered at Lazio as a superb player. An exceptional talent who, despite not living up to his potential, delighted Lazio fans for many years. He was part of the Cragnotti glory years and will forever belong to the Scudetto winning squad of 2000, in the most successful period in the club's history.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League | Cup Winners Cup | UEFA Cup |
Nov 1993-94 | 21 (4) | 21 (4) | - | - | - | - |
1994-95 | 33 (11) | 23 (9) | 4 | - | - | 6 (2) |
1995-96 | 26 (4) | 23 (4) | 1 | - | - | 2 |
1997-98 | 38 (15) | 26 (10) | 6 (5) | - | - | 6 |
1998-99 | 6 (1) | 3 | - | - | 3 (1) | - |
1999-00 | 33 (8) | 19 (4) | 4 (3) | 10 (1) | - | - |
Total | 157 (43) | 115 (31) | 15 (8) | 10 (1) | 3 (1) | 14 (2) |
Sources
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