March 23, 1997: Vicenza-Lazio 0-2
- Dag Jenkins
- Mar 22
- 9 min read
Midfielders step up
Without forwards after five minutes Lazio rely on Nedved and Fuser to win tense game
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 3rd (UEFA) under manager Zdeněk Zeman. The highlights were beating Juventus 4-0, Sampdoria 6-3, Atalanta 5-1, Cagliari 4-0, Fiorentina 4-0 and especially Roma 1-0, all at home. Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 26 goals (24 in A).
This year the Bohemian stayed on. The main new signings were South African defender Mark Fish (Orlando Pirates), midfielders Pavel Nedved (Sparta Prague) and Paul Okon (Club Bruges) plus forward Igor Protti (Bari), previous year's top Serie A scorer with Signori.
Leaving were defender Cristiano Bergodi (Padova), midfielders Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea), Aron Winter (Inter) plus forwards Alen Boksic (Juventus) and Marco Di Vaio (Bari-on loan).
The Serie A campaign had started very badly with two defeats (Bologna 0-1 away and Udinese 0-1 at home). After that they were very inconsistent with 6 wins (including Milan 3-0), 5 draws (including the derby 0-0 and Inter 1-1 away) and 5 defeats. The last defeat to Bologna 1-2 at home on January 26 had cost Zeman his job and back came Dino Zoff.
Since Zoff's return the Biancocelesti had won 3, drawn 2 and lost 1. Lazio were currently in joint 8th place with today's opposition Vicenza on 34 points, with 11 points on the relegation zone (before the change of manager Lazio had been joint 12th, with Udinese, and with a five-point cushion on the drop zone) and only one from the last UEFA Cup place. Things were looking better.
Lazio had also started their Coppa Italia campaign on August 28 and had won 1-0 away at Avellino. They then played Verona away on October 23 and won 2-1. Then came the quarter finals but in November Lazio lost 1-2 on aggregate to Napoli.
In the UEFA Cup, the Biancocelesti had played the first leg of the round of 64 away at Lens, winning 1-0. On September 24 they completed the revenge on the French side, nineteen years after the humiliating 0-6 defeat in extra-time in 1977, by drawing 1-1. In the round of 32 in October it was possibly the beginning of the end for Zeman. Lazio won 1-0 at home against Tenerife and were winning 1-0 away, then drawing 3-3 but managed to lose 3-5 and get eliminated. A very disappointing evening.
Vicenza had finished 9th the previous season under manager Francesco Guidolin. The Biancorossi had beaten Lazio 1-0 at home but lost 0-3 in Rome. The highlight of the season was beating Juventus 2-1 at home. Top scorer was Marcelo Otero with 12 league goals.
This season Guidolin was still manager but there had been some minor changes to the squad. The main new arrivals were: defender Massimo Beghetto (Perugia), midfielders Fabio Firmani (Lodigiani) plus forwards Giovanni Cornacchini (Bologna) and Alessandro Iannuzzi (Lazio-on loan). In January midfielder Giuliano Gentilini (Padova) had arrived too.
Leaving "La Città del Palladio" were: defenders Joachim Björklund (Rangers), Gabriele Grossi (Roma), midfielders Massimo Lombardini (Torino) and Willi Pittana (Carpi).
So far, the Veneti were in 8th place with Lazio on 34 points. The "Lane" had started well and as late as early January had even been as high as 2nd. They had won 9 (including Lazio 2-0 away and Juventus again 2-1 at home), drawn 7 and lost 8.
In the Coppa Italia, Vicenza were through to the final to be played on May 8 and 29 against Napoli. The Berici had eliminated Lucchese 2-1, Genoa 2-1 (on agg), Milan on away goals and Bologna 2-1 (on agg).
Today in Serie A it was a clash between two sides on the same points but Lazio were on the rise while Vicenza seemed to have past their peak performances.
The match: Sunday, March 23, 1997, stadio Romeo Menti
A grey day in Veneto with about 15,000 presents at the old Menti stadium.
Lazio were without forwards Igor Protti (suspended) and Gigi Casiraghi (injured) plus Beppe Signori was not at his best.
Vicenza had defender Gustavo Méndez unavailable.
Lazio played in their yellow away jerseys while Vicenza wore their classic red and white stripes.
Both sides started with 4-5-1 formations but after only five minutes Lazio lost their only forward Signori to a muscular problem and he was replaced by Roberto Rambaudi.
The first shot was by former Roma midfielder Giampiero "Jimmy" Maini but it was wide.
Lazio immediately looked sharper, more determined and better organised.
Lazio dominated the first half. Guerino Gottardi had a shot saved by Luca Mondini and on the rebound Pavel Nedved had a shot cleared off the line by Davide Belotti. Another shot by Paolo Negro was also intercepted by Daniele Amerini on the goal line.
In the 19th minute however Belotti went from hero to villain. He messed up his ball control at the edge of the box and was dispossessed by Nedved who then chipped the keeper coming off his line. Vicenza 0 Lazio 1.
On the half hour there were some protests from the home fans as Beppe Favalli, already on a yellow, committed another clumsy foul but was let off by the referee.
For the second half the hosts brought on midfielder Gabriele Ambrosetti for defender Gilberto D'Ignazio.
It was still Lazio who were more dangerous. Mondini saved well on a Nedved strike.
Vicenza however were unlucky too. On one of their few attacks Maini hit the crossbar with a brilliant long-range volley.
Lazio controlled the game well but without forwards were not able to close out the contest.
Vicenza tried with more substitutions: former Lazio Alessandro Iannuzzi for Amerini in the 63rd minute and forward Giovanni Cornacchini for Roberto Murgita in the 73rd.
In the 80th minute the Biancorossi were reduced to ten men. Giovanni Lopez pulled Nedved down in midfield on the right but without the foul the Czech would have had a clear run on goal. Lopez protested furiously claiming it was he who had been fouled and the referee, after having a word with the linesman, sent him off.
At this point the unexpected happened, there was a pitch invasion by four angry Vicenza fans. In the end it took seven long minutes and numerous carabinieri, directors and rugby tackles by players to restore order.
When the game finally restarted Lazio scored in the 90th minute. Rambaudi surged forward for at least thirty metres before pushing the ball through to Diego Fuser who went round the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty goal. Vicenza 0 Lazio 2.
Before the final whistle there was still time for another Lazio substitution, Marco Piovanelli for Rambaudi and two more red cards, Mimmo Di Carlo for Vicenza and Renato Buso for Lazio, for reciprocal insults. Final score Vicenza 0 Lazio 2.
A good win for Lazio without forwards and in a difficult atmosphere at the Menti. Lazio had been the better team although Vicenza felt hard done by, probably excessively so, by the referees booking strategy.
Lazio moved up to 6th on 37 points, overtaking Roma and Atalanta. Vicenza were down to joint 10th with Fiorentina on 34.
Who played for Vicenza
Mondini, Sartor, Belotti, G.Lopez, D'Ignazio (46' Ambrosetti), Otero, Di Carlo, Amerini (63' Iannuzzi), Maini, Beghetto, Murgita (73' Cornacchini)
Substitutes: Brivio, Rossi, Viviani, Gentilini
Manager: Guidolin
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Negro, Chamot, Nesta, Favalli, Fuser, Nedved, Venturin, Gottardi, Buso, Signori (5' Rambaudi, 90' Piovanelli)
Manager: Zoff
Referee: Bolognino
Goals: 19' Nedved, 90' Fuser
Red Card: 80' Lopez (V), 98' Di Carlo (V), 98' Buso (L)
What happened next
Lazio finished the season well and came in 4th, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. In the last 9 games the Biancocelesti won 5 (including Reggina 6-1 at home), drew 3 (including derby 1-1 with 91st minute equaliser, Milan and Juventus both 2-2 away) and lost 1. Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 15 goals (all in A). A positive end and Sven-Goran Eriksson was on his way…
Vicenza finished a positive 8th. In the last 9 games they won 3 (including Inter 1-0 away and Milan 2-0 at home), drew 4 and lost 2. Top scorer was Otero again with 13 league goals.
Their finest moment however was in the Coppa Italia. They defeated Napoli 3-1 on aggregate for a historic triumph.
The Serie A winners were Juventus for the 24th time. Serie B was next stop for Cagliari, Perugia, Verona and Reggiana (the latter have never been back since while Perugia have been missing for the last 20 years).
Let's talk about Luca Mondini
Luca Mondini was born in Parma on February 25, 1970.
He grew up in the Inter youth sector. In 1989-90 he joined the first team but never made his debut behind Gianluca Pagliuca.
In 1990 he was loaned to Spezia in Serie C1 and stayed two seasons. The Bianconeri finished 6th and 8th and Mondini played 67 league games.
In 1992-93 he played for Como in C1. The Lariani finished 6th and Mondini played 32 league games.
In 1993-94 he joined Fidelis Andria on loan in Serie B. The Leoni Azzurri finished 16th and Mondini played 38 league games.
In 1994-95 he went back to Inter but again never played and the following season he joined Vicenza.
He stayed with the "Lane" for two seasons. The Biancorossi were in Serie A and finished 9th and 8th. In 1997 they won a historic Coppa Italia. The manager was Francesco Guidolin and Mondini played 64 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia. His teammates included Lazio connections; Giovanni Lopez (1997-98) and Alessandro Iannuzzi (1995-96, 1998-99).
In 1997-98 Mondini spent a season with Treviso in Serie B. The manager was Gianfranco Bellotto and the Biancocelesti finished 8th. Mondini played 27 league games.
In 1998-99 he played for Napoli in Serie B. The manager was first Renzo Ulivieri (1-35) and then Vincenzo Montefusco (36-38) and the Partenopei finished 9th. Mondini played 21 league games. His teammates included Lazio connections, Raffaele Sergio (1989-92), Giovanni Lopez again (1997-98) and Massimiliano Esposito (1995-96).
In 1999-2000 he spent a season with Lazio on loan and became Italian champion. The Biancocelesti, under Sven-Goran Eriksson, won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia. Mondini was third keeper behind Luca Marchegiani and Marco Ballotta and made no appearances.
In 2000-01 he returned to Napoli who were now back in Serie A. The Azzurri however were relegated again, first under Zdeněk Zeman (1-6) and then Emiliano Mondonico (7-34). Mondini played 3 league games. His teammates included Lazio connections; Francelino Matuzalém (2008-13) and keeper Franco Mancini (1995-96).
In 2001-02 he played for Sampdoria in Serie B. The Blucerchiati finished 10th under Luigi Cagni (1-4) and Gianfranco Bellotto (5-38). Mondini played 33 league games. He played alongside former Lazio, Dario Marcolin (1992-93, 1995-99, 1999-2000), Alessandro Grandoni (1995-98) and Attilio Lombardo (1999-2001).
In 2002 he joined Reggiana in Serie B and stayed two seasons. In the first the Granata won the league and promotion under Giuseppe Marchioro and in the second finished 13th in Serie A. Mondini played 45 league games.
He then moved to Cremona for two and a half seasons with Cremonese. The Violini were in C1. They won promotion but were relegated immediately, then 10th and 2nd (losing the playoff final). Mondini played 44 league games.
In January 2007 he moved to Spezia in Serie B and he played 2 league games with the Spezzini finishing 19th (safe after playoff).
In 2007-08 he joined Padova in Serie C1. The Patavini finished 7th and Mondini played 3 league games.
In 2008-09 he moved south to Benevento in Lega Pro Prima Divisione (3rd tier). The Giallorossi finished 2nd but lost the playoff final (Crotone). Mondini played 12 league games.
His last club was Crociati Noceto (Noceto-Parma) in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (4th tier). The Gialloblu finished 9th and Mondini played 23 league games.
At 40, after a long career, Mondini retired.
Since retiring he has become a goalkeeper coach with Parma youth academy (2010-18), Pro Piacenza (2018-19) and Sassuolo U18s (2018-19).
Mondini had a decent career. His peak was with Vicenza where he won a Coppa Italia. He also won promotions with Reggiana and Cremonese.
At Lazio he only stayed one year on loan as third keeper but it was a triumphant season for the Biancocelesti as they won the double, Scudetto and Coppa Italia.
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