Game 20, Serie A
Sunday, February 4, 1996
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Bari 4-3
A pity. Four penalties plus a number of other errors from the ref ruined what could have been a great match
The season started very well with two consecutive wins. The highlight of the early part of the season was the crushing of Juventus 4-0 at the end of October. It was a demonstration of Lazio’s full potential and of just how lethal manager’s Zdenek Zeman’s teams could be. Two days later came the other side of the coin: Lazio were eliminated in the UEFA Cup by Olympique Lyonnais. This was an example of how the season panned out. Spectacular games (6-3 against Sampdoria for example) and dismal performances like losing to Vicenza and Piacenza. Lazio fans were used to it by now, but the question was: will we ever win anything with this inconsistency?
One further note is that starting from this season teams could substitute up to three players per match and for the first time players could choose a fixed number for their jersey, between 1 and 99, and keep it for the entire season.
The match
Lazio started the match very well and soon after kick-off Pierluigi Casiraghi hit the woodwork. The Biancocelesti were dominating but Bari scored in the 9th minute. Kennet Andersson headed the ball to Carmine Gautieri who beat the Lazio defence for speed and was supposedly fouled by Luca Marchegiani in the penalty box. Supposedly, because there were big doubts. But the referee, Daniele Tombolini, decided it was a penalty and Igor Protti made no mistake.
The ref must have thought he had made a wrong call because he then opted to compensate with a ridiculous decision: in the 22nd minute Francesco Pedone touched Alen Boksic who went flying to the ground. Penalty for Lazio, Beppe Signori scored. 1-1 but two wrongs certainly do not make a right, Mr. Tombolini.
Four minutes later penalty number three. This time it was a clear foul with Marcello Montanari tripping Aron Winter. Signori made it 2-1.
Lazio took control of the match and Boksic was unstoppable. The Croatian had a chance in the 30th minute but it was saved by Fontana. The ball got to Winter who passed it to Signori. 3-1 for Lazio. With these three goals Signori overtook Giorgio Chinaglia and became Lazio's second highest scorer in Serie A, behind Silvio Piola.
In the second half Bari manager Eugenio Fascetti realized that there was a need to speed things up a bit and make more use of Andersson and this is exactly what happened in the 64th minute. Gautieri had no problem in beating Dario Marcolin on the right and crossed for the big Swede. The ball went over Marchegiani’s head and Andersson headed the ball in comfortably.
At the one end, there was Gautieri unstoppable on the right, Protti was driving Alessandro Nesta nuts and all the crosses were Andersson’s. At the other end Boksic, Casiraghi and Signori were creating havoc in the Bari penalty box.
Andersson had a chance via a free kick but it was well saved by the Lazio goalkeeper. Boksic dribbled past a number of Bari players and passed to Casiraghi who hit the woodwork. In the 78th minute the Croatian decided to go solo and made it 4-2 for Lazio.
Tombolini, who was a bit upset that he was no longer the protagonist of the match, decided it was time for another penalty. So in the 81st minute Protti scored his second goal. No idea on why the ref decided it was a penalty.
The ref’s masterpiece came with one minute to go. Casiraghi, unmarked, thirty metres from the goal with the Bari goalkeeper outside the penalty box, decided to shoot. Fontana clearly saved it with his hands. The referee whistled. Foul. Everybody was expecting a red card but Fontana claimed the ball hit his leg, Casiraghi confirmed it, so the ref gave a drop ball.
Lazio managed to keep the slim lead and win a very difficult match. Tombolini should have seriously considered giving up refereeing.
NB. Tombolini is currently a consultant for Italian TV and journalist. An “expert” opinion in all matters concerning refereeing.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Nesta, Favalli (74’ Bergodi), Di Matteo, Negro, Chamot, Signori, Fuser, Casiraghi, Winter (46’ Marcolin), Boksic (88’ M. Esposito)
Substitutes: F. Mancini, Gottardi
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Bari
Fontana, Mangone (75' Ficini), Sala (46' Ripa), Montanari, Manighetti, Gautieri, Pedone (54' Parente), Ingesson, Gerson, Andersson, Protti
Substitutes: Bigica, Annoni
Manager: Fascetti
Referee: Tombolini
Goals: 8’ Protti (pen), 22’ Signori (pen), 26’ Signori (pen), 30’ Signori, 64’ Andersson, 78’ Boksic, 81’ Protti (pen)
What happened next
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