Meluso’s finest hour
Lazio manage to beat Avellino thanks to a Meluso brace
The season so far
The previous year, thanks to the old guard – Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia and Vincenzo D’Amico – Lazio were able to secure promotion after three years from the harsh and unjust relegation due to the first Calcio Scommesse betting scandal.
During the summer Giorgio Chinaglia, the 1974 Lazio scudetto hero, took over the club. Chinaglia had left the Biancocelesti to play for New York Cosmos in the mid-1970s and his return was all Biancocelesti fans' dream. Claiming to have large sums of money to invest, Long John was welcomed like a Messiah, the one who would take Lazio back to the highest levels.
He confirmed Giancarlo Morrone as manager, and brought in some of his former teammates: Nello Governato as Sporting Director, Felice Pulici as General Manager and Renato Ziaco, the famous team doctor of the 1974 team, back in his former role.
The team went through a revolution. Thirteen players were sold and the first two Lazio foreign players since the opening to non-Italians were Michael Laudrup, on loan from Juventus, and Brazilian International Joāo Batista.
Lazio had played the group stage of the Coppa Italia between August and the beginning of September. After drawing at Catanzaro and beating Perugia 2-0 (D’Amico and Enrico Vella), the Biancocelesti had surprisingly lost at Taranto 1-0 and were unable to go beyond a goalless draw at Bari. This meant that they then had to beat Juventus to go through to the next round. They played well, scored thanks to an own goal in the second half but Juve equalised immediately and the match finished 1-1.
In Serie A the Biancocelesti were forced to come to terms with the fact that the team was probably not that strong. In the first seven games Lazio had beaten Inter, but had lost 4 (including the derby) and drawn against both of the Genoese. They were currently last together with Pisa. A win today was fundamental not only for Lazio’s future but also to save Morrone’s job
The match: Sunday, November 6, 1984, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Morrone decided to add young Mauro Meluso to the attack and place Laudrup behind the forwards. Lazio started to put pressure on the Avellino’s defence right from the word go, but it was the Irpini who had the first chance of the match. Geronimo Barbadillo crossed inside the box, Daniele Bertoneri’s header was well saved by Nando Orsi.
In the 26th minute the Biancocelesti scored. Giancarlo Marini took a free kick close to the by-line on the right, cross into the area, Giordano headed the ball which hit Meluso and went in. Five minutes later, excellent low cross into the box from Batista, Meluso anticipated the Avellino defence and made it two.
The young Lazio centre forward almost scored his hat trick on an assist from Laudrup, but he failed to score.
At this point Avellino started to move forward. Tagliaferri had a chance to reduce the deficit in the 38th minute but his shot was saved on the line by Gabriele Podavini. The Irpini’s goal arrived anyway five minutes later. Gianpietro Tagliaferri found Bertoneri who easily beat Orsi with the Lazio defence completely out of position.
In the second half Avellino launched the assault but Barbadillio and Bertoneri were denied by an excellent Orsi. Lazio were put under huge pressure but the Biancocelesti managed to get the two points. A little respite.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Podavini, Filisetti, Manfredonia, Batista, Spinozzi, Meluso (61’ D’Amico), Vinazzani, Giordano, Laudrup, Marini (89’ Cupini).
Substitutes: Ielpo, Miele, Piraccini
Manager: Morrone
Who played for Avellino
Zaninelli, Osti (68' Maiellaro), Vullo, Schiavi (82' Lucci), Favero, Biagini, Barbadillo, Tagliaferri, Bertoneri, Colomba, Limido.
Substitutes: Paradisi, De Napoli, Salomoni.
Manager: Veneranda.
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 26’ Meluso, 31’ Meluso, 43’ Bertoneri
What happened next
There was great hope, but, with very few exceptions, Lazio were disappointing. Morrone was fired in December and replaced by Paolo Carosi, another former Lazio player.
After a controversial draw at home against Udinese, things went from bad to worse. At Ascoli, Giordano broke his leg following a ruthless tackle by Antonio Bogoni (who was not even booked). Lazio fell into despair, losing the Ascoli match as well as the next one at home against Pisa.
Lazio had only nine points after the first half of the season. Carosi realised that he must do something and he put his faith in the players with greater experience. Life without probably one of the best centre forwards in Europe would not be easy and there was no backup plan. At this point D’Amico and Manfredonia took matters into their own hands and stepped up to lead the team.
Lazio started earning points. In the first six games of the second half of the season they beat Genoa and Sampdoria at home and drew against Verona, Inter away (thanks to a Walter Zenga howler) and a dramatic derby 2-2.
Just when things were looking brighter, Lazio faltered again. The last four games became fundamental. Fortunately, Giordano came back in record time. The week before the unlucky defeat against Fiorentina, a rumour spread that Lazio’s star player might be on the bench and possibly play the final minutes. Ten thousand fans travelled to Florence (including us!) in the hope of seeing their captain play. He came on with 20 minutes to go and this was the best possible news for Lazio.
The following match against Napoli saw Giordano regain his place in the centre of the Lazio attack. It took him just 30 seconds to score and the Biancocelesti managed to win the game 3-2. There was still hope.
Lazio then lost at Udine and in the final two games of the season needed three points to stay in Serie A. A win against Ascoli at home and a draw against Pisa with a Giordano brace did the job.
“We will never suffer like this again”, said Chinaglia at the end of Pisa-Lazio. Alas, this was only the beginning of the suffering.
Lazio 1983-84
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 35 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 35 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 38 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Vinazzani | 33 | 28 | 5 |
Spinozzi | 32 | 27 | 5 |
Manfredonia | 31 | 26 | 5 |
Batista | 30 | 25 | 5 |
D'Amico | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 8 | 8 | - |
D'Amico | 8 | 7 | 1 |
Giordano | 8 | 8 | - |
Manfredonia | 4 | 4 | - |
Cupini | 3 | 3 | - |
Let’s talk about Mauro Meluso
Mauro Meluso was born in Cosenza on January 1, 1965. He started his career in a local club but at 14 he moved to Rende and later began playing for the Lazio youth teams. He debuted in Serie B on May 8 1993 in the home match that saw Lazio draw with Reggiana 3-3 despite leading the match three times thanks to a Bruno Giordano hat trick. His debut in Serie A arrived on October 2, 1983, in the game against Juventus. He made a total of 13 appearances for Lazio (12 in Serie A and one in Serie B) with two goals that he scored in the match against Avellino.
In 1984 he signed for Cremonese in Serie A but did not play much, just 12 appearances with one goal. He played the rest of his career in the lower tiers with Salernitana, three seasons at Monopoli, two at Casarano and one with Messina. In 1989 he did have the chance to get back to higher league football when he signed for Foggia in Serie B under future Lazio manager Zdenek Zeman, future players Beppe Signori, Roberto Rambaudi and Francesco Mancini and former player Francesco Fonte. In that team there was also Antonio Manicone who would be assistant to Vladimir Petkovic. Meluso however made just 15 appearances with three goals.
His last years of active football were with Fermana where also thanks to his six goals in 1993-94 the club was promoted to Serie C2. His last season was in 1994-95.
Since retiring from football he has become sports director and worked for many clubs: Foggia, Padova, Pisa, Sangiovannese, Teramo and Ternana. In 2011 he was in charge of the technical sector of Frosinone and in 2014 sports director at Cosenza. He took on the same role in Serie C with Lecce and thanks to his work the club got a double promotion in two years and managed to return to Serie A in 2019. He stopped working for them in 2020 and signed with Spezia. He stayed a year.
In July 2023 he was nominated Sports Director for Napoli.
Mauro Meluso was a good forward, very quick. At Lazio he was overshadowed by Bruno Giordano and perhaps was still too young to take over the role of centre forward when Giordano broke his leg in the 1983-84 season.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Serie B |
1982-83 | 1 | - | 1 |
1983-84 | 12 (2) | 12 (2) | - |
Total | 13 (2) | 12 (2) | 1 |
Sources
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