Win and top spot
Lazio beat Catanzaro and take top spot in Serie B
Also on this day: February 16, 2020, Lazio Inter 2-1. Marvellous Lazio come from behind to beat Inter and become serious scudetto contenders. Lazio Hero of the day: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived 11th in Serie B. A rather dismal performance, so poor that at a certain point the Biancocelesti were very close to the relegation zone. In the end they managed to stay in Serie B but just two points ahead of the five teams that finished on 36 and needed a playoff to determine who would join Novara and Potenza in Serie C (in the end Venezia and Messina were relegated).
The worst thing was the very low number of goals scored: just 27 in 40 games. Certainly not enough to have any chance of promotion. Manager Renato Gei had been sacked in February, substituted by faithful Bob Lovati.
Hence for the 1968-69 season there was a need for a new head coach and new forwards. Juan Carlos Lorenzo returned for his second stint at Lazio and a number of interesting players were signed: defender Mario Facco and midfielder Ferruccio Mazzola from Inter, forward Gian Piero Ghio from Avellino and three loans from Juventus, defender Guido Onor, goalkeeper Pietro Fioravanti and midfielder Elio Rinero
There was optimism for a return to Serie A.
Lazio had said goodbye to legendary keeper Idilio Cei (Palermo), Paolo Carosi (Catania) and Pieluigi Pagni (Spal on loan).
First, however, there was the Coppa Italia to play in September. Lazio was paired with Roma, Bologna and Spal. The Biancocelesti lost the derby and drew the other two games 1-1. Roma won the group and eventually the Coppa Italia too.
The Biancocelesti closed the first half of the season in second place on 24 points in the company of Bari. They were one point from the top, held by Brescia, and had a two-point lead over a number of teams: Como, Genoa, Reggiana, Reggina and Foggia.
The first six games were characterised by poor performances away from home (a draw and two loses) but big wins at home (4-1, 5-2, 4-0). They then became more consistent.
The match: Sunday, February 16, 1969, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio had to face Catanzaro without several players and were forced to play with third goalkeeper Corrado Leardi and Romano Bagatti who had not yet played in the first eleven this season. As a consequence their start to the game was disjointed and the Calabrians exploited the situation. Manager Giuseppe Lupi intelligently placed his centre forward Gianbattista Benvenuto deep hence creating problems for his marker Carlo Soldo. It was Benvenuto who had the best chance to open the score in the first half when he arrived in front of Leardi but his shot went too high. Catanzaro were forced to substitute Luciano Rigato in the first half after a clash with Elio Rinero forced him to leave the pitch on a stretcher. In came Albino Barbuto
In the second half, Lorenzo managed to balance things out and Lazio scored in the 60th minute. Freekick, Ferruccio Mazzola II crossed into the box and Gian Piero Ghio headed the ball in. Shortly after, Barbuto was sent off for a dirty foul on Bagatti and from then on, the Biancocelesti took siege on the Calabrian goal in search of a second. Lazio had umpteen chances with Ghio, Piero Cucchi, Soldo, Giancarlo Morrone, Mazzola II (who hit a post in the 86th minute) but finally managed to score one minute from the end. Quick counterattack by Giuliano Fortunato, ball to Morrone who beat Flavio Pozzani.
Good win. Now Lazio were top of the Serie B table.
Who played for Lazio
Leardi, Onor, Facco, Rinero, Soldo, Marchesi, Bagatti (70’ Morrone), Mazzola II, Fortunato, Ghio, Cucchi
Substitutes: Fioravanti
TD: Lorenzo
Manager: Lovati
Who played for Catanzaro
Pozzani, Marini, Bertoletti, Massari, Tonani, Busatta, Zimolo, Banelli, Benvenuto, Aristei, Rigato (17' Barbuto).
Substitutes: Maschi.
Manager: Lupi.
Referee: Bianchi
Goals: 60’ Ghio, 89’ Morrone
What happened next
Once Lazio reached a decent position, the rest of the season was then characterised by the battle for first place with Brescia.
On April 20 the big match between the two teams saw the Biancocelesti prevail and take the Serie B lead and when they won at Catania on May 11 the lead became +4. Two weeks later it was +5 on Brescia but more importantly +6 on third place with 5 games to the end of the season.
Serie A was obtained mathematically thanks to a 3-0 win against Lecco on June 8 and the certainty of winning the Serie B championship arrived a week later despite falling to Monza. As a consequence, the Biancocelesti would be playing the Mitropa Cup the following year.
It was a great season, Lazio were strong and had good players in every role. A mix of young talent and experience, well managed by Lorenzo. There was a lot of room for optimism for the 1969-70 season in Serie A.
Lazio 1968-69
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie B | 38 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 55 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | - | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 41 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 57 |
Top five appearances (complete player statistics)
Player | Total | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
40 | 37 | 3 | |
40 | 37 | 3 | |
39 | 36 | 3 | |
38 | 38 | - | |
37 | 35 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers (complete player statistics)
Player | Total | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
Gian Piero Ghio | 11 | 10 | 1 |
Ferruccio Mazzola II | 8 | 8 | - |
Giuliano Fortunato | 8 | 8 | - |
7 | 6 | 1 | |
6 | 6 | - |
Let's talk about Corrado Leardi
Corrado Leardi was born on February 21, 1947 at Aquileia near Udine. He started playing football with Solbiatese and then signed for Inter for the Primavera and Reserve championships. In 1966-67 he was loaned to Salernitana and a year later bought by Varese.
In 1968-69 he moved to Rome on loan to play as third goalkeeper for Lazio. Despite not being first choice, he did manage to make three appearances in the season which took Lazio back to Serie A. Rosario Di Vincenzo was injured and for those three games manager Juan Carlo Lorenzo preferred Leardi to the number 12 Pietro Fioravanti.
At the end of the season he returned to Varese. In 1970-71 he signed for Pisa in Serie B but made just one appearance as the Tuscans were relegated to Serie C. Once in the third tier he became the main goalkeeper and stayed under the leaning tower until 1975 making 166 league appearances.
He played his last professional year at Livorno in 1976-77.
Lazio Career
Season | Total Serie B Appearances |
1968-69 | 3 |
Sources
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