Very important win
A Liverani goal a minute from time gives Lazio crucial three points
Also on this day:
The season so far
On July 19, 2004 Claudio Lotito became President. The situation was critical from a financial point of view. Many of their best players such as Sinisa Mihajlovic, Beppe Favalli and Jaap Stam did not renew their contracts and went elsewhere. Manager Roberto Mancini signed for Inter despite being under contract with Lazio. But Lazio had no means to keep him and he knew it. From what is known, his contacts with Inter started in the autumn and he tried to convince many of his players to follow him to Inter. Some did, some refused (for example Stam).
Stefano Fiore and Bernardo Corradi were sold to Valencia to cover the debt remaining with the Spanish club for the signing of Gaizka Mendieta. Demetrio Albertini was sold to Atalanta as payment for the other halves of Luciano Zauri and Ousmane Dabo. Claudio Lopez was loaned to America Mexico so Lazio could save paying his wages.
Two players not under contract decided to stay: Angelo Peruzzi and Fernando Couto.
Lotito therefore inherited a team with no manager and just a few players. The team was temporarily given to Mimmo Caso, the primavera manager and hero of the -9 season, for the pre-season training in Japan. Lazio had to fulfil a contract so off they went. In Japan Caso got on well with the players (and he was also cheap), so Lotito confirmed him.
Lotito’s second move was a PR one. He needed the Lazio fans on his side, so his idea was the return of Paolo Di Canio, an unforgotten hero of the tifosi. Di Canio managed to get released from his contract and came back home.
Lotito’s last move was the signing of seven players on the last day of the summer transfer window. These included some forgettable signings, but also two players that would become the backbone of the early Lotito years: Tommaso Rocchi and Sebastiano Siviglia.
In Serie A things did not go well. In the first 16 games Lazio won four, drew five and lost seven. They had 17 points, just four clear of relegation zone. They were clearly in difficulty: badly organised, no game plan, problems between Caso and Di Canio and poor quality of some of the players. Furthermore, the Biancocelesti were eliminated in the UEFA Cup group stage, without winning a match, and were also out of the Coppa Italia beaten by Cagliari on away goals.
So, just before Christmas, Lotito called another former player, Giuseppe Papadopulo, to manage Lazio. He was seen as more apt to lead the Biancocelesti to safety. The task was immediately uphill since his first game was the derby, but amazingly Lazio won 3-1 and then again in Florence in the next match, but that was followed by just one point in the next five games.
A win today would be fundamental.
The match: Saturday, February 12, 2005, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio were forced to play without César, Fernando Couto, Paolo Di Canio and Antonio Filippini. The large number of injuries had been a constant this season.
The Biancocelesti started well. In the 3rd minute Fabio Bazzani, who had arrived on loan in the January transfer window, had a chance on a low cross from the right from Emanuele Filippini but his effort was saved by Massimo Taibi. After twenty minutes, in which Lazio had trouble once in Atalanta's half, a Fabio Liverani cross on a free kick was hand-balled in the box by Luigi Sala but according to the ref Bazzani had pushed the Bergamo defender. In the 27th minute Angelo Peruzzi was forced off injured and substituted by Matteo Sereni. Not a lot happened apart from a few sporadic attempts from both sides. In the 37th minute Tommaso Rocchi tried a volley but it was well saved by Taibi.
After a boring first 44 minutes, the game suddenly came alive. With one minute to go Stephen Makinwa from a corner kick, taken by Antonino Bernardini, completely unmarked headed the ball past Sereni giving Atalanta the lead. Sixty seconds later, Sebastiano Siviglia sent a long ball into the penalty box, Taibi went for an improbable save and was anticipated by Bazzani for Lazio’s equaliser.
Taibi was replaced in the interval by Alex Calderoni.
Having experienced a couple of minutes of fireworks, spectators might have thought they were in for an exciting second half. They were wrong. Not much happened. A Rocchi volley went wide, Calderoni tried to gift Lazio a goal by catching the ball and then stepping back very close to the line. In the 30th minute a splendid shot from Bazzani outside the box, great save from the keeper.
As the game was coming to a close, the Biancocelesti scored. Cross inside the box, an Atalanta defender cleared, Massimo Oddo reached the ball on the far right of the penalty area, low cross, Liverani controlled and beat Calderoni.
Fundamental win for Lazio in a very complicated and difficult match.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi (27’ Sereni), Siviglia, Giannichedda, Talamonti, Oddo, Dabo, Liverani, E. Filippini, Seric (65’ Muzzi), Bazzani, Rocchi (88’ Pandev)
Substitutes: Zaccardi, Zauri, Manfredini, E.Gonzalez
Manager: Papadopulo
Who played for Atalanta
Taibi (46' Calderoni), Rivalta, Sala, Capelli, Motta, Mingazzini, Bernardini (61' Montolivo), Marcolini, Bellini, Lazzari, Makinwa (78' Sinigaglia)
Substitutes: Innocenti, Adriano, M. Stendardo, Pagano
Manager: D. Rossi
Referee: Brighi
Goals: 44’ Makinwa, 45’ Bazzani, 89’ Liverani
What happened next
After beating Atalanta Lazio won another two games, then one point in three games, and then two wins and a draw. As one can see the story of the season was two steps forward, three steps back. With six games from the end of the season Lazio were 7th and relatively safe but then they lost three in a row and things got worrying. Lazio then drew the last three matches and managed to stay in Serie A. Papadopulo was able to add a greater fighting spirit to the side, but little else. Lotito had a lot of work to do if he wanted to improve the side.
Oddo was the player with the most appearances (42) and Rocchi the most goals with 17.
Let’s talk about Esteban González
Esteban Nicolás González Rojas was one of the seven players signed on the last day of the summer transfer session.
Born in Córdoba on September 16, 1978, he started his career in 1998 with Belgrano (Córdoba) before moving to Gimnasia La Plata in 2001.
After three seasons he was offered on loan to Lazio and President Claudio Lotito signed him. He made just three appearances, two in the starting eleven, not leaving any trace.
At the end of the season, he went back to Gimnasia but after a year moved to Colón (Santa Fe).
He then tried another European experience with Las Palmas in 2007 in the Spanish second tier, playing more than when he had in Rome, 15 appearances, but in 2008 went back to Gimnasia again.
In 2010 he played one year for Club Atlético Tigre (Victoria) and finished his career with four seasons at Belgrano where he made 110 league appearances with 4 goals.
After retirement he became a manager first with the Belgrano B side and then had two stints with the A team in 2016 and 2021. Since 2023 he has been assistant coach at Gimnasia.
Lazio Career
Season | Total Serie A appearances |
2004-05 | 3 |
Sources
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