Three in a row
Lazio win second league derby too to make it third consecutive derby success
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had been promoted back to Serie A under "Il Maestro", Tommaso Maestrelli. Top scorer had been "Long John" Giorgio Chinaglia with 26 goals (21 in B). Lazio had also had the satisfaction of beating Roma in a Coppa Italia game (1-0, Chinaglia).
This season Maestrelli was obviously still the manager but there had been some important changes to the squad. The main players arriving were: goalkeeper Felice Pulici (Novara), defender Sergio Petrelli (a rare deal with Roma), midfielders Mario Frustalupi (Inter), Pierpaolo Manservisi (Napoli-end of loan), Ferruccio Mazzola (Fiorentina- end of loan) and Luciano Re Cecconi (Foggia) plus forward Renzo Garlaschelli (Como).
Leaving were keepers Claudio Bandoni (Catanzaro) and Rosario Di Vincenzo (Brindisi), defender Giuseppe Papadopulo (Brindisi), midfielders Arrigo Dolso (Alessandria), Giuseppe Massa (Inter) and Alessandro Abbondanza (Napoli-end of loan) plus forwards Carlo Facchin (retiring) and Giuliano Fortunato (Lecce).
So quite a lot of changes to the squad. The main sacrifice was letting go of Massa but the arrival of Frustalupi would turn out to be a history changer for Lazio.
The season had started in August with the Coppa Italia. It went badly and Lazio were out, after losing 3 (Napoli 0-1 at home, Brindisi 0-1 away and Taranto 1-2 at home) and drawing 1 (Palermo 0-0 away).
In Serie A fortunately, things had gone much better. After 20 games Lazio had 27 points and were joint 3rd with Inter, three points behind leaders Milan. The Biancocelesti had won 9 (including the first derby 1-0), drawn 6 (including Inter twice, 0-0 and 1-1 and Juventus 1-1 at home) and lost 2 (Milan 1-3 and Juventus 0-1, both away).
So, Lazio were in a good position, the table read Milan 30, Juventus 28 Lazio and Inter 27.
Roma had finished 7th the previous season under Helenio Herrera. The Giallorossi had won the Anglo-Italian Cup beating Blackpool 3-1 in the final. Top total scorer was Renato Cappellini with 9 goals while just in Serie A it was Gianfranco Zigoni with 7.
This season the "Mago" Herrera had stayed on. Their main new signings were defender Giorgio Morini (Varese), midfielders Angelo Orazi (Verona), Francesco Rocca (Bettini - Cinecittà), Valerio Spadoni (Rimini) plus forward Lucio Mujesan (Verona - via Bari).
Leaving were: defenders Francesco Cappelli (Taranto), Sergio Petrelli (Lazio !!!), midfielders Amarildo (Vasco da Gama), Luis del Sol (Betis Sevilla), Roberto Vieri (Bologna) and forward Gianfranco Zigoni (Verona).
The Giallorossi too had been eliminated in the Coppa Italia in August - September despite winning 3 (Mantova 2-1 and Reggina 2-0 away and Como 3-1 at home) and drawing 1 (Atalanta 0-0 at home).
The Anglo-Italian Cup had started badly in February with a 0-2 home defeat to Newcastle United. The other matches would be against Fulham, Oxford United and Blackpool.
In Serie A things were not going too well and the Lupi were in joint 9th place with Napoli on 17 points. The Giallorossi had won 5, drawn 7 and lost 8 (including Lazio 0-1). Roma had not won since December 10 (Atalanta 2-0 at home) and had since drawn 4 (all 0-0) and lost 6.
Judging on current form Lazio were favourites today. It was a derby however and the Giallorossi were desperate to avenge the last two derby defeats (in the Coppa Italia the previous season and in the league in November).
The match: Sunday, March 11, 1973, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Light cloud and a strong northerly wind in the capital today. A sell-out crowd of 78,000 was present for this, as always, big game.
Lazio had no injury worries while Roma were without defender Walter Franzot.
In the first fifteen minutes both sides controlled each other but then gradually Lazio took the upper hand.
In the 18th minute a Luciano Re Cecconi-Giorgio Chinaglia combination set up Pierpaolo Manservisi but the winger's shot was weak and saved by Alberto Ginulfi.
In the 19th minute Re Cecconi was busy again and teed up Mario Frustalupi but his shot went high.
Roma were timid and Lazio continued to attack. The Biancocelesti took the lead just after the half hour mark. Sergio Santarini lost the ball in midfield to Renzo Garlaschelli, ball to Chinaglia then Frustalupi who crossed into the middle to an omnipresent Garlaschelli who headed past Ginulfi from about 7-8 metres out. Lazio 1 Roma 0. No-one could say it was not coming.
Four minutes later Lazio doubled their lead. In the 38th minute Franco Nanni hit a hopeful but seemingly innocuous ball over the Roma defence but Santarini then clumsily put it behind Ginulfi who was coming off his line to claim it.
There was no reaction from the Giallorossi and Lazio cruised to half time. Lazio 2 Roma 0.
For the second half Herrera replaced an injured defender Aldo Bet with midfielder Angelo Orazi. Roma now attacked more and looked more determined.
In the 55th minute Valerio Spadoni was wasteful from a decent position and a few minutes later a Renato Capellini header went past Felice Pulici but came back off the bar and conveniently fell into Felix' arms.
This was a sign it wasn't Roma's day and the Giallorossi's energies petered out. Chinaglia was particularly keen to get on the scoresheet but he was unable to this time.
In the 87th minute Lazio put on a defender, and former Roma, Sergio Petrelli for forward Manservisi but Lazio had nothing to worry about, Roma were beaten...again.
The Lazio fans celebrated wildly and mocked the Romanisti chanting "Serie B, Serie B"!! The Lazio players' euphoric singing could be heard far off from the changing rooms while the Roma manager Herrera had to be escorted by the police back to his house on the Aventine hill.
Lazio were now solitary 3rd. Milan and Juventus had won but Inter lost. The table now read: Milan 32, Juventus 30, Lazio 29, Inter 27.
Roma were down to joint 10th and now had only a two-point advantage on 3rd bottom Vicenza.
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Facco, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Nanni, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi, Manservisi (87' Petrelli)
Substitutes: Moriggi
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Roma
Ginulfi, Morini, Peccenini, Bet (46' Orazi), Santarini, Liguori, Spadoni, Cappellini, Cordova, Scaratti
Substitutes: Quintini
Manager: Herrera
Referee: Panzino
Goals: 32' Garlaschelli, 38' Santarini (og)
What happened next
Lazio won the next five games (including Milan 2-1 at home) and kept up their Scudetto challenge. In the following three games the Biancocelesti then won 1 and drew 2.
This meant that going into the last fixture the table read: Milan 44, Lazio and Juventus 43. Milan were soon 0-3 down at Verona (Milan had played Cup Winners Cup final mid-week) and at halftime Lazio were drawing 0-0 in Naples whole Juventus losing 0-1 to Roma, in Rome. A playoff between Lazio and Milan was on the cards. Then unfortunately, almost surely thanks to "financial incentives" and personal interests, Roma stopped playing and lost while Napoli, also apparently paid off by the "Old Lady" played the game of their lives, scored in the 89th minute and acted as if they had won the World Cup. In the end Milan lost 3-5 in "fatal Verona".
A pity for Lazio but they had played great football and had an excellent season finishing 3rd. They also won both derbies (1-0, 2-0). Top scorer was Giorgio Chinaglia with 11 goals (10 in A). The following year would be different but that's another story.
Roma beat Torino at home a week later and eventually finished 11th on 24 points (the same as relegated Atalanta). After 24 games Herrera was replaced by Antonio Trebiciani. In the remaining 9 games they won 1, drew 5 and lost 3. Top scorer was Valerio Spadoni with 9 goals (7 in A).
The Anglo-Italian Cup was a flop too as they lost two (Oxford 0-2 at home, Blackpool 1-2 away) and drew 1 (Fulham 1-1 away).
Juventus were champions for the 15th time while leaving Serie A were Palermo, Atalanta and Ternana. The Sicilians would not be back for another 31 years.
Let’s talk about Helenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán was born in Buenos Aires on April 10, 1910.
He was Argentinian but parents were of Spanish origin, his father was a carpenter and an anarchist from Andalusia. He later also acquired French citizenship.
He lived in the poor area of Palermo in Buenos Aires until he was eight when his family moved to Morocco. In North Africa the family continued to have economic difficulties but it was here that Helenio started to play football.
He started at 12 with Roches Noires but his first big club was Racing Casablanca.
At 19 he moved to France where he spent the rest of his career. His clubs were: Club Français (Paris, 1929-32), CASG (Paris, 1932-33), Stade Français (Paris, 1933-35), Charleville (1935-37), Excelsior Roubaix (1937-39), Red Star (Paris, 1940-42), Stade Français (1942-43), ÉF Paris-Capitale (1943-44) and Puteaux (Paris, 1944-45). His only silverware was a French Cup with Red Star in 1942.
It was in his last club Puteaux that he started his coaching career as player-manager also due to a knee injury.
In 1945 he moved to Stade Français and stayed three seasons. In his first they won promotion to the top flight and then finished 5th twice.
In 1948 he moved to Spain and coached Real Valladolid for a season. The Blanquivioletas finished 12th.
In 1949 he joined Atlético Madrid where he stayed three and a half seasons. In his first two years the Colchoneros won the Liga and came 4th in the third season. In the fourth season he was sacked in January after 8 league defeats in 17 games.
In February 1953 he joined struggling Malaga but could not avoid the Boquerones (Anchovies) from getting relegated.
In July 1953 he moved to Deportivo La Coruña but was sacked in December after 7 defeats in 15 games.
In January 1954 he went back to Andalusia but to Sevilla. He stayed three and a half seasons. The Sevillistas finished 5th, 4th twice and 2nd (five points behind champions Real Madrid).
In 1957 he moved across to Portugal and signed for Belenenses (Lisbon). He was sacked in April after 12 wins, 4 draws and 10 defeats.
He immediately however got the Barcelona job. The Blaugrana only had two games to go and finished 3rd. In the next two years Barça won consecutive Ligas and a Copa del Rey.
In 1960 he started his long Italian adventure. He joined Inter where he would remain for eight seasons. He won the Scudetto three times (1963, 1965, 1966), the European Cup twice (1964, 1965), the Intercontinental Cup twice (1964, 1965). In 1967-68 the Nerazzurri only finished 5th and he left at the end of the season.
In 1968 he joined Roma and stayed five seasons. He was not as successful as with Inter. The Giallorossi finished 8th, 10th, 6th,7th and 11th. In the third season he was sacked in April only to return the following season with new ownership (Alvaro Marchini to Gaetano Anzalone). Herrera did win silverware with the Lupi, the Coppa Italia in 1969 and the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1972.
In 1973 he returned to Inter but returns do not always work out and he had to leave in February to a heart attack. In Serie A the Nerazzurri had won 6, drawn 5 and lost 4 and were in 6th place (six points behind leaders Lazio).
Herrera reappeared in November 1976 when he took charge of Rimini in Serie B. He was replaced in December after 3 wins and 3 defeats. He returned to Rimini in March 1979 but again was replaced in April after 1 win, 3 draws and 4 defeats. The Biancorossi were eventually relegated.
In March 1980 he was back at Barcelona when he took over from Joaquim Rifé. The Blaugrana finished 4th (W6, D4, L1). The following season he again came in after 9 games replacing László Kubala and finished 5th but won the Copa del Rey (Sporting Gijón 3-1).
That was the end of his coaching career which had also seen him involved with national teams: France 1946-48 on the technical commission, Spain 1959-62 with Pablo Hernández Coronado and Italy 1966-67 with Ferruccio Valcareggi.
After retiring he worked as a television pundit in Italy.
As a player he was a strong defender but it was as a manager he will be remembered. He was nicknamed "Il Mago" (magician) and had his greatest successes with the "Grande Inter" of the 1960's.
He did not invent the "Catenaccio" but, especially at Inter, was one of the coaches in history that used it most effectively. He was known as a great motivator and for his use of psychological tactics both for his players and against the opponents. He was meticulous in his work and famous for noting down everything he observed and learnt.
In 2004 he was accused by a former player of using doping on his players, amphetamines dissolved in coffee. The majority of his other former players denied this and the few who confirmed either claimed it was common practice at all clubs at the time or later took back their allegations.
His silverware is impressive; 2 European Cups, 4 Ligas, 3 Scudetti, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 Coppa Italia, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 1 Fairs Cup and 1 Anglo-Italian Cup.
Helenio Herrera died in Venice on November 9, 1997.
Sources
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