Fourth win in a row
Lazio demolish Lecce thanks to Giordano and an Ambu brace
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season had been rather disastrous. There was a new Presidency with Gian Casoni and there were promotion ambitions but the team did not live up to the expectations. It was so bad that the Biancocelesti needed a Vincenzo D’Amico hat trick to beat Varese coming from behind in the final game at the Olimpico to avoid Serie C.
This year the situation was completely different. Italy had won the World Cup and the Federation took two years off the suspensions for all the players involved in the match fixing scandal of 1980. As a consequence, Lazio stars Bruno Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia were available to play. The two, feeling guilty over what had happened, even if they probably did not do that much to be given such long sentences (three years and six months), had sworn that if they did come back to play, their first objective was to get Lazio back to Serie A. So, at least for moment, they were staying.
There was a massive coming and going in the summer transfer window. The club said goodbye to scudetto heroes Felice Pulici (retired) and Renzo Garlaschelli (Pavia) plus Giorgio Mastropasqua (Catania), Dario Pighin (Taranto), Alberto Bigon (Vicenza), Dario Sanguin (Perugia), Nando Viola (Genoa), Walter Speggiorin (Massese), Dario Marigo (Perugia). New arrivals were Fernando Orsi (Parma), Renato Miele (Catania), Gabriele Podavini (Brescia), Roberto Tavola (Juventus), Enrico Vella (Catania), Claudio Ambu (Perugia) plus the return from last year’s loans of Carlo Perrone and Stefano Chiodi.
The manager was Roberto Clagluna. He had substituted Ilario Castagner half way through the previous season and had been confirmed.
The season opened with the Coppa Italia and Lazio did not make it to the next round. They lost against Avellino and Napoli and were unable to beat Atalanta at home so they arrived third by just one point.
In campionato the Biancocelesti started slowly with three draws but then made a few changes in the game prior to this one allowing the team to improve. Against Sambenedettese, Orsi substituted Maurizio Moscatelli, who was not performing well following his return to football after breaking his Achilles tendon, Renato Miele was placed at the centre of the defence and Marco Saltarelli was introduced as new left-back. Lazio won 1-0 as they did in the next game at home with Cremonese. After a defeat at Bologna, Manfredonia was moved to midfield and the Biancocelesti blossomed. They won three games in a row and were now first, in the company of Milan and Arezzo.
The match: Sunday, November 14, 1982, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio approached this game with the feeling that in the end Bruno Giordano would get a goal and that they would as a consequence win. The reality was a little different as Lecce defended well for the first half an hour even though slightly too aggressively.
In the 6th minute Claudio Ambu had a massive chance due to an involuntary pass from Francesco Mileti. The latter was then the protagonist in the 32nd minute. Corner for Lazio, Vincenzo D’Amico crossed and the Lecce defender pulled down Lionello Manfredonia for a clear penalty. Giordano took the spot kick and did not miss.
Lecce tried to react but a minute later Ciro Pezzella had the brilliant idea to applaud the referee who had just booked him. He got a second yellow card and went to take an early shower.
In the second half the match increased in intensity. In the 60th minute Enrico Vella found Michele De Nadai on the left wing, perfect cross into the middle, Ambu volleyed the ball in.
Paolo Pochesci then got injured and was substituted by Roberto Tavola so Manfredonia went back to defence and it was he who fouled Paolo Tusino in the box, allowing the Giallorossi to take a penalty. But Fernando Orsi parried Mileti’s spot kick. In the 79th minute, De Nadai tried a shot from outside the penalty area, Divo Vannucci parried but Ambu slotted it in for Lazio’s third.
Good win, fourth in a row.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Podavini, Saltarelli (82’ De Angelis), Vella, Pochesci (64’ Tavola), Perrone, Ambu, Manfredonia, Giordano, D’Amico, De Nadai
Manager: Clagluna
Who played for Lecce
Vannucci, Lo Russo, G. Bagnato, P. Bruno, Pezzella, Miceli, Cianci, Orlandi, Spica (46' Tusino), Mileti, Luperto (50' L. Ferrante)
Substitutes: De Luca, P. Serena, Rizzo
Manager: Corso
Referee: Angelelli
Goals: 32’ Giordano (pen), 60’ Ambu, 79’ Ambu
What happened next
The consecutive wins ended at seven and before the big match against Milan at the Olimpico they were solitary league leaders with a two-point lead on the Rossoneri. Lazio drew 2-2 in a spectacular game and Serie A looked just around the corner.
But in 1983 things went south. In the 19 games from the start of the year Lazio won only three. The Biancocelesti went into a long psychological and technical crisis. They had difficulties in scoring because they were not creating chances. Clagluna could not figure out a solution. In April Lazio dismally drew 0-0 three times, lost at home against Pistoiese and away to Varese.
The match against Reggiana on May 8 was fundamental. Serie A was slipping away. Lazio scored three times with Giordano but were unable to secure victory. Clagluna had to go in order to create a spark that could help Lazio get over the line. Old Lazio glory Giancarlo Morrone, who was managing the Primavera team, was called in to help create that spark. The next match things precipitated even further and Lazio lost 5-1 to Milan.
On Sunday May 22, Lazio fans woke up with heavy hearts. But when they went to buy their newspapers they discovered that Giorgio Chinaglia wanted to buy Lazio. The enthusiasm that this news generated brought 55,000 people to Lazio Atalanta, a decisive game, and lifted the team to victory.
After a goalless draw at Arezzo the following Sunday came the mother of all games for Lazio at home against Catania. A win meant that only a point would then be needed to get promoted. And win it was thanks to a shot from Podavini deflected by Mastropasqua that made it 2-1. The last game against Cavese finished 2-2 and Lazio were finally in Serie A after three years.
Let's talk about Mario De Angelis
Mario De Angelis was born on July 9 1964, in Rome.
Having grown up in Pro Tevere Roma, he moved to Lazio in 1977. In 1978 he began his career in the youth teams, reaching the Primavera in the 1981-82 season. The following year he was often called up to the first team where he made his debut on 14 November 1982 in Lazio-Lecce 3-0. It would be his only appearance for Lazio.
In 1983 he signed for Lodigiani. He later played with Reggiana, Carrarese and Pontedera (4 seasons). In 1990 he moved to Massese where he obtained promotion to Serie C1. The following year he played for Aosta where he remained for another two seasons.
He later played another thirteen seasons in the amateur categories, hanging up his boots at the age of 42.
He later coached the "Giovanissimi" (aged 12-15) for US Fides of Reggio Emilia. Since the 2015/16 season he has been coaching the 1999 Falkgalileo boys, an amateur club from Reggio Emilia.
Lazio Career
Season | Serie B appearances |
1982-83 | 1 |
Sources
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