See Naples and resuscitate
A good win sees Lazio leapfrog Napoli and forget European disappointment
Also on this day: November 7, 1971: Arezzo Lazio 2-2. Despite dominating for long periods, a penalty and an own goal mean Lazio are unable to give win to 4,000 travelling faithful.. Player of the day: Gaetano Legnaro
The season so far
Lazio had finished 5th, under Dino Zoff, qualifying for the UEFA cup for the first time in fifteen years. Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 32 goals (26 in A and league top scorer).
This season Zoff was confirmed. Over the summer a few new players had arrived: Luca Marchegiani (Torino), defender Paolo Negro (Brescia), midfielders Luciano De Paola (Brescia), Roberto Di Matteo (Aarau), Fabrizio Di Mauro (Fiorentina - on loan) plus forwards Pierluigi "Gigi" Casiraghi (Juventus) and then very recently Alen Boksic (Olympique Marseille).
There were some goodbyes too: goalkeeper Valerio Fiori(Cagliari), sadly fan favourite, defender Angelo Gregucci (Torino), midfielder Giovanni Stroppa (Foggia) plus forwards Maurizio Neri (Brescia) and German Karl-Heinz Riedle (Borussia Dortmund).
Lazio were currently 7th in the table in Serie A, on 11 points. The last two matches had been a 1-1 draw in the derby and a 2-1 home win against Udinese. The mood on the Biancoceleste side of Rome however was sombre as, only three days before today's game, Lazio had been knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Boavista. Lazio had won 1-0 at home but had then succumbed to two goals by a certain Ricky in Portugal. There was talk in the Roman media of Zoff getting the chop.
Lazio were also already out of the Coppa Italia having suffered a shock exit to third tier Avellino 0-2 on aggregate.
Napoli had finished 11th the previous season, first under Claudio Ranieri (1-10) and then Ottavio Bianchi (11-34) who had won a Scudetto there in 1987 and a UEFA Cup 1989.
This year the manager was Marcello Lippi. The main new players were keeper Giuseppe Taglialatela (Bari - back from loan), defenders Giovanni Bia (Cosenza), Roberto Bordin (Atalanta), Enzo Gambaro (Milan - on loan), midfielders Renato Buso (Sampdoria), Eugenio Corini (Sampdoria - on loan), Fabio Pecchia (Avellino) plus forward Paolo Di Canio (Juventus - on loan).
Leaving were keeper Giovanni Galli (Torino), defender Gaetano De Rosa (Palermo - on loan), midfielders Angelo Carbone (Milan - end of loan), Massimo Crippa (Parma) and Massimo Mauro (retiring) plus forwards Careca (Kashiwa Reysol) and Gianfranco Zola (Parma). Careca and Zola would particularly be missed.
Napoli were 6th in the table, on 12 points. The manager was Marcello Lippi, future world champion with Italy. After two opening defeats Napoli had improved and were now unbeaten in the last eight games. In the last two matches the Partenopei had beaten Lecce 3-1 at home and drawn 1-1 away in Florence. Napoli too had crashed out of the Coppa Italia in October, losing 2-3 to Ancona on aggregate.
Their main stars were defenders Fabio Cannavaro, Ciro Ferrara, midfielder Fabio Pecchia plus forwards Daniel Fonseca and former Lazio, Paolo Di Canio.
This afternoon's match was considered a clash for European places and Napoli slight favourites.
The match: Sunday, November 7, 1993, Stadio San Paolo, Naples
A crowd of about 55,000 gathered on a muggy afternoon in the Fuorigrotta area of Naples.
Zoff chose Roberto Bacci over Cristiano Bergodi in defence and the only absence was Paul Gascoigne who was out through injury. To compensate they had recent buy Alen Boksic making his debut in attack.
Napoli played their usual XI with two former Roma players on the field, Sebastiano Nela and Daniel Fonseca.
In the first stages it was Napoli who attacked more with Paolo Di Canio particularly lively. The Lazio defence however was solid. Bacci marked Di Canio, Mauro Bonomi followed Fonseca while Roberto Di Matteo constantly got the better of Fabio Pecchia in midfield.
Boksic then had an opportunity in the 19th minute but, from a tricky angle, he sliced it well wide. In the 24th minute a Beppe Signori low, through ball was run onto by the Croat but Ciro Ferrara and Giuseppe Tagliatela averted the danger despite clashing .
The Lazio keeper, Luca Marchegiani, could have gone to visit Pompei until the 27th minute when he had to stop a Di Canio shot. In the 33rd minute a powerful low Fonseca freekick curled round the wall but "Il Conte" was ready on the far post and blocked.
Lazio absorbed Napoli's sterile pressure and then, in the last ten minutes, started to gain control and put the home side in some difficulty. The Azzurri were unlucky in the 42nd minute when their keeper Taglialatela was forced off injured and replaced by Raffaele Di Fusco.
In the 44th minute Thomas Doll passed to Signori just outside the box and the striker did not think twice and belted a curling low left-footed effort which literally shaved the post.
The Napoli reserve goal stopper was immediately called into action in the 46th minute when he had to save a Signori volley and he did so superbly. Halftime Napoli 0 Lazio 0.
Napoli had attacked but been confused and inprecise in their passing. Lazio had defended perfectly, looked sharper and ultimately been more dangerous.
In the second half Lazio the first attemp was for the hosts in the 52nd minute, with a Enzo Gambaro shot but it was comfortably saved by Marchegiani. Then Lazio took over, they played with more fluidity and confidence than their opponents and started to threaten with more frequency.
First, Di Matteo received the ball outside the area on the right and decided to go for it, he burst into the area and let loose a low shot which went just wide of the far post. Then a Boksic shot was saved by the keeper. A few minutes later Giuseppe Favalli went down towards the left byline and put in a cross to Boksic but his header was blocked by Di Fusco diving to his left.
In the 68th minute Lazio scored. Boksic disturbed a Napoli clearance from defence and was then tackled but the ball arrived to Doll who cleverly put a low vertical ball through the Napoli backline into the box, Favalli ran onto it and between two defenders put a crisp, low finish into the opposite corner. Napoli 0 Lazio 1.
The lead did not last long and in the 71st minute Napoli equalised. Di Canio ran down the right wing and squared a perfect low ball into the middle where this time Fonseca anticipated Bonomi and lunging put a close range touch past Marchegiani. Napoli 1 Lazio 1.
Lazio reacted well and went forward. In the 81st minute Signori put a long, curling cross into the middle, Boksic jumped but missed it and it was about to reach Doll on the far post when Francini put his arm out and put the ball into corner. A blatant handball with no discussions or complaints. Signori stepped up and with his usual no run-up approach put a powerful, medium height spotkick to Di Fusco's left. Napoli 1 Lazio 2.
Napoli already flagging now had no energy left to attempt a comeback. Final score Napoli 1 Lazio 2.
A deserved win for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had defended well and Boksic had impressed up front, teaming up well with the always threatening Signori. Zoff was safe for now and judging by today's performance it looked as if the players were still with him.
Who played for Napoli
Taglialatela (42' Di Fusco), Ferrara, Francini, Gambaro, Cannavaro, Nela, Di Canio, Bordin, Fonseca, Policano (64' Buso), Pecchia
Substitutes: Corradini, Corini, Bresciani
Manager: Lippi
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Bacci, Favalli, Di Matteo, Bonomi, Cravero (79' Bergodi), Winter, Doll, Boksic, Di Mauro, Signori
Manager: Zoff
Referee: Stafoggia
Goals: 68' Favalli, 70' Fonseca, 82' Signori (pen)
What happened next
Lazio lost the next game 1-2 at home to Torino. They then had a positive season and finished 4th (UEFA Cup again). There were some good wins including Juventus 3-1, Genoa 4-0, Cagliari 4-0, Roma 1-0, Napoli 3-0 all at home and Inter 2-1 and Sampdoria 4-3 away. Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 23 league goals, again top A scorer too,
Napoli too had a decent season and finished 6th. The highlight of the season was beating Milan 1-0 at home with Di Canio winner. Top scorer was Daniel Fonseca with 15 league goals.
Serie A was won by Milan for the 14th time. The four unlucky ones disappearing for a while were Lecce, Atalanta, Udinese and Piacenza.
Lazio 1993-94
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 55 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - |
UEFA Cup | 4 | 3 | - | 1 | 5 |
Total | 40 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 60 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Marchegiani | 40 | 34 | 2 | 4 |
Winter | 40 | 34 | 2 | 4 |
Di Matteo | 35 | 29 | 2 | 4 |
Bacci | 33 | 29 | - | 4 |
Cravero | 32 | 29 | 1 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | UEFA Cup |
Signori | 23 | 23 | - |
Cravero | 7 | 5 | 2 |
Winter | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Casiraghi | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Di Matteo | 4 | 4 | - |
Boksic | 4 | 4 | - |
Let's talk about Luciano De Paola
Luciano De Paola was born in Crotone on May 30, 1961.
He spent his youth days with Crotone and joined the first team squad in 1981. The "Squali" were in the fifth tier and finished 2nd twice. De Paola played 59 league games over two seasons.
In 1983 he joined Frosinone in Serie C2. He stayed two seasons with the "Leoni" who finished 8th and 3rd. He played 64 league games.
In 1985 he joined Francavilla in C2 and stayed three seasons. The Giallorossi finished 7th, 1st (promoted) and 8th in C1. De Paola played 82 league games and scored his first professional goal.
In 1988 he moved to Sardinia and signed for Cagliari. The Rossoblu were in Serie C1. He stayed two years and first won promotion to B and then promotion to Serie A. Cagliari also won the Serie C Coppa Italia in 1989. He played 71 league games for "Casteddu" and scored 2 goals. His manager in Sardinia was Claudio Ranieri. His teammates included Mario Ielpo (Lazio 18981-84).
In 1990 De Paola joined Brescia in Serie B. He stayed three seasons. The "Rondinelle" (Swallows) finished 9th, 1st (promoted) and 15th in A (relegated after playoff). He played 85 league games with 2 goals. His managers were Bruno Mazzia (1-3) and Bruno Bolchi (4-38) in the first year, Adelio Moro (with Mircea Lucescu as T.D) in the promotion year and Serie A season. His teammates Lazio connections Filippo Citterio (1979-81), Marco Piovanelli (1995-97), Luca Luzardi (1992-94), Sergio Domini (1990-91), Giampaolo Saurini (1988-89, 1990-91), Paolo Negro (1993-2005), Luca Brunetti (1986-88) plus the great Romanian Gheorghe Hagi.
In the summer of 1993 De Paola joined Lazio. The manager was Dino Zoff but De Paola's Roman experience was short lived. He played 6 league games, 2 in Coppa Italia and 3 in the UEFA Cup before leaving in November for Atalanta. In midfield Lazio had Roberto Bacci, Roberto Di Matteo, Fabrizio Di Mauro, Diego Fuser, Claudio Sclosa, Aron Winter, Thomas Doll (he left in November too) and Paul Gascoigne and competition for places was tough.
In Bergamo De Paola only stayed for the rest of the season. He played 14 league games under Cesare Prandelli and the Dea finished 17th and relegated. His teammates included future Lazio Roberto Rambaudi (1994-98).
In 1994 De Paola returned to his hometown of Cosenza. He stayed two seasons in Serie B with the "Lupi della Sila" (Sila Wolves). He played 66 league games and scored 2 goals and the Calabresi finished 15th and 11th. The manager was Alberto Zaccheroni the first year and then Fausto Silipo (1-3) and Bortolo Mutti (4-38) the second. His teammates included former Lazio Gigi Corino (1991-94).
In 1996 he returned to Brescia for two seasons. The Lombards were in Serie B but won promotion under Edy Reja. In the second year Brescia finished 15th and relegated under three different managers including Giuseppe Materazzi. De Paola played another 56 league games for Brescia. His teammates included Lazio connections, Maurizio Neri (1991-93), the Filippini twins (2004-05), Luca Luzardi (1992-94) plus the great Andrea Pirlo.
De Paola then spent one last season with Cremapergo in C2. He played 13 league games and the Gialloblu finished 18th and relegated. At this point De Paolo retired at the age of 38.
He went straight into coaching, something he had already been doing in the second part of the season with Cremapergo. In 2000 he took charge of Brescia Primavera and stayed seven years. He then had stints at Arezzo (2007, C1, sacked), Darfo Boario (Jan 2009-Apr 2011, Serie D, 8th, 4th and sacked), Seregno (Dec 2011-2012, Serie D, 16th), Trento (Dec 2012-2013, Serie D, 18th), AlzanoCene (Oct 2013-2014,Serie D, 15th), Piacenza (Jan-June 2015, Serie D, 4th), Lecco (Oct 2015-2016, Serie D, 2nd), Lumezzane (Oct 2016-Feb 2016, Lega Pro, sacked), Pergolettese (Dec 2017-2018, Serie D, 4th), Trento (Oct 2018-Jan 2019, Serie D, sacked), Savona (2019-20, Serie D, 6th), Pergolettese (Nov 2020-Apr 2021, Serie C, sacked), Lecco (Nov 2021-22, Serie C, 6th), Città di Varese (Oct 2022-23, Serie D, sacked).
So, a coaching career in the lower divisions without many full seasons anywhere or particular highs so far.
As a player De Paola was central defensive midfielder. His main task was to tackle and win back the ball which he did well. He did not however have playmaker skills but was a tough and hardworking player. He played a total of 516 professional games (72 in A) with 7 goals.
At Lazio he only stayed two months and never really settled in. His style of play was possibly too rugged and rough for the type of football Lazio were trying to play.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
1993-94 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Sources
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