Long John punishes bitter rivals again
Giorgio Chinaglia scores winner to make it three consecutive wins over Roma
The season so far
Lazio went close to the scudetto the previous season before finishing 3rd. They had been in contention going into the last match but Roma basically let themselves be beaten by Juventus and Lazio were beaten by overly keen Napoli, among allegations of both teams being "incentivised" by the "Old Lady". Meanwhile the other contender Milan fell apart at "fatal Verona".
This season the charismatic manager Tommaso Maestrelli was still on the bench. There had been no major changes to the squad. Lazio had received plenty of offers for their best players, Luciano Re Cecconi (Torino), Franco Nanni (Fiorentina and Juventus) and Giorgio Chinaglia (Milan, Juventus, Napoli and Inter). The president Umberto Lenzini, however, managed to resist and keep them all.
There had only been some lesser deals. In came midfielders Fausto Inselvini (Brescia in the autumn) and Sergio Borgo (Pro Patria), out went forward Giacomo La Rosa (Palermo) and midfielder Giambattista Moschino (retired).
So basically Lazio were giving the title another go with the same squad. The idea was that they had gone so close the previous season that this year with a little more experience they stood a realistic chance.
The pitch was so far half proving them right. Lazio had won 3, drawn 3 and lost 1 (Juventus 1-3 away). They had 7 points and were 4th in the table. A week earlier the Biancocelesti had won 1-0 away at Cagliari. The scudetto race was on, their main rivals seemed to be Juventus (as the previous year) and Napoli (instead of Milan). Giorgio Chinaglia had already scored 4 goals.
In Coppa Italia Lazio had got through the August-September group phase despite losing a game. The Biancocelesti had won 2 (Varese 2-0 and Novara 6-0 at home), drawn 1 (Roma 0-0) and lost 1 (Brescia 0-2 away). The next group stage would start on December 12 (Cesena, Palermo and Juventus).
In the UEFA Cup had passed the first round (Sion 4-3 on aggregate) but then things had gone sour. In the round of 32 Lazio lost 0-4 away to Ipswich (4 goals by Trevor Whymark) and in the return leg (4-2 Lazio) the match ended in a brawl and crowd trouble due to a scandalous performance by an allegedly drunk referee. This episode would unfortunately bring heavy repercussions on Lazio, a year's ban from Europe.
Roma had finished 11th the previous season, first under Helenio Herrera (1-24) and then Antonio Trebiciani (25-30). The Giallorossi had a poor campaign and lost both derbies.
This year the manager was originally Manlio Scopigno but he had already been replaced by Nils Liedholm after 6 matches. Roma's main new signings were keeper Paolo Conti (Arezzo), defender Alberto Battistoni (Verona), midfielders Angelo Domenghini (Cagliari) and Piergiorgio Negrisolo (Sampdoria) plus forward Pierino Prati (Milan).
The main players leaving were: defenders Aldo Bet (Milan), Francesco Scaratti (Lodigiani), midfielders Walter Franzot (Verona) and Elvio Salvori (Foggia).
In Serie A so far the Giallorossi had won 2 and lost 5. Not a great start and 13th place.
In Coppa Italia Roma were already out having drawn all four matches (Lazio, Brescia, Novara all 0-0 and Varese 1-1).
Lazio were favourites today but in derbies the underdogs often have their day so had to be careful.
The match: Sunday December 9, 1973, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A grey, autumnal day witnessed the 97th Roman derby. It was announced as a sell-out but high ticket prices and the world oil crisis (no cars allowed in Rome today) meant the crowd was "only" about 60,000.
Roma were keen to avenge the previous season's two derby defeats but it was Lazio who had the first chances. One of last year's derby heroes Franco Nanni shot just high and then Renzo Garlaschelli forced keeper Conti to tip the ball over the bar with a venomous curling cross come shot.
Roma held their own and had periods of pressure but mainly crosses which came to nothing. It was Lazio who threatened again but "Long John" Chinaglia's shot went wide.
In the 24th minute young Vincenzo D'Amico was elbowed by Giorgio Morini and never really recovered. He went off for several minutes and then came on again but did not look himself.
In the 34th minute however Roma took the lead with a superb goal. Piergiorgio Negrisolo picked up the ball outside the area on the right and dribbled past three Lazio players (including a groggy D'Amico) and once inside the box fired a low left-footed shot past Felice Pulici. A great solo effort, Lazio 0 Roma 1.
Lazio reacted and Chinaglia freed himself in the area but his powerful shot was blocked by Alberto Batistoni. Halftime Lazio 0 Roma 1. A balanced game so far decided by a moment of brilliance by Negrisolo.
For the second half D'Amico did not reappear after his first half problems and was replaced by Paolo Franzoni.
The replacement took only a minute to get his name in the Lazio history books. In the 48th minute Mario Frustalupi found Garlaschelli on the right side of the area near the by-line and, despite being challenged by two defenders, he managed to square a cross into the middle where Franzoni twisted and dived, heading in Lazio's equaliser. Lazio 1 Roma 1. This was the moment Chinaglia famously celebrated pointing his index finger at the Curva Sud (many years later emulated by Paolo Di Canio).
From now on it was more Lazio than Roma. Chinaglia had a thundering free kick saved by Conti and then Sergio Santarini had to clear another Franzoni header off the line, following a clever Luciano Re Cecconi cross with the outside of his foot.
Lazio attacked but Roma occasionally eased the pressure on the break. Francesco "Kawasaki" Rocca went on one his customary runs down the left and crossed to Domenghini on the right inside the area, the former Cagliari controlled it well but then fired over the bar.
It was Lazio again who went closer. Gigi Martini, who had an excellent game, put a low through ball to Chinaglia in front of goal on the left but Conti came off his line and dived, saving Long John's shot with his feet.
Roma then had another counterattack. A good run by Renato Cappellini who jiggled through Lazio’s defence and teed up Batistoni in the heart of the area but his shot was weak and comfortably saved by Pulici.
In the 68th minute Lazio's pressure paid off. On a Re Cecconi cross from the left Chinaglia and Conti jumped up for the ball, the keeper touched it but could not hold onto it and it bounced free, Chinaglia back to the goal twisted and got a shot in that then bounced and deceived the keeper and a defender on the line. Not a pretty goal but an important one for the Biancocelesti. Lazio 2 Roma 1. There followed some controversy as the Giallorossi claimed Chinaglia had fouled Conti on the aerial challenge but there was nothing in it, as the evening TV analysis later confirmed.
Roma predictably piled forward desperate to avoid a third consecutive derby loss. They went close twice. First Prati tried an acrobatic bicycle kick which went just wide of the left post and then, with only three minutes remaining, Ciccio Cordova found Domenghini unmarked in the box and his low strike hit the post, came back to him but this time he sent it over the bar.
After the scare the last chance was for Franzoni. The unexpected protagonist of the derby was teed up by Chinaglia in front of Conti but on the right, he went for power over precision and hammered the ball which got stuck between the keeper's legs. Final score Lazio 2 Roma 1.
A hard fought, balanced and entertaining game had gone Lazio’s way again. Three in a row now and the Biancocelesti were keeping up with the front runners but today it was all about winning the "Stracittadina" always a huge satisfaction in Rome against the bitter rivals known as "i cugini" (the cousins).
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Petrelli, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Nanni, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi, D'Amico (46' Franzoni)
Substitutes: Moriggi, Facco
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Roma
P. Conti, Negrisolo, Peccenini, Rocca, Santarini, Batistoni, Domenghini, Morini, Cappellini, Cordova, Prati (80' Orazi)
Substitutes: Ginulfi, Di Bartolomei
Manager: Liedholm
Referee: C. Lo Bello
Goals: 34' Negrisolo, 46' Franzoni, 68' Chinaglia
What happened next
Lazio would go on to win their first historic league title. On the 12th May 1974 Lazio were proclaimed Campioni d'Italia!
A week after today's match they beat Napoli 1-0 at home and then two weeks later Milan 1-0 at home. In February came the crunch game at home to Juventus. It ended in a 3-1 triumph for Lazio (Garlaschelli and twice Chinaglia) and this was a first definite turning point of the season.
On March 31 Lazio also won the return derby, coming from behind to beat Roma 2-1 (Chinaglia, D'Amico).
Another key win came in a home game against Verona on April 14 when, 2-1 down at halftime, Lazio stayed on the pitch waiting eagerly for the second half and ended up 4-2 winners. With five games to go Lazio had a four-point lead on Juventus.
Lazio then earned a good away point against Milan and beat Genoa at home 1-0 with a Garlaschelli winner.
Despite losing to Torino on May 5 (only team to beat Lazio twice that season), a week later, on May 12, Lazio came into the penultimate game of the season knowing a win would give them the scudetto.
The opponents were Foggia, Maestrelli's former team, who were desperately battling against relegation. Fans started arriving at the stadium at 6 o'clock in the morning and the gates were opened at 8.45. The hills above the stadium were also packed as, before the roof was added for the Italia '90 world cup, it was possible to follow the game up on Monte Mario near the "Madonnina". It was obviously a sell-out but many fans also managed to get in for free, swelling the crowd to explosive levels.
It was a tough game with Lazio playing the last half hour with ten men (Garlaschelli sent off) and Luigi Martini out injured but Lazio got the all-important goal with a Chinaglia penalty in the 60th minute. Foggia threw everyone forward but a tired and comprehensively tense Lazio managed to resist the Satanelli's assaults. On a glorious 1974 May day in Rome the Biancocelesti founded in 1900 were finally Italian Champions!
Maestrelli's crazy gang had done it. A team divided in clans during the week but masterfully brought together by the "Maestro" on match days. They played an entertaining brand of football based on the new Dutch philosophy and thoroughly deserved the title. Like Bologna, Fiorentina and Cagliari before them they had broken the monopoly of the big three (Juve, Milan and Inter). Top scorer had been charismatic Long John Chinaglia with 34 goals in total (24 in Serie A).
The title race took precedence and Lazio went out of the Coppa Italia in the second group stage with 3 defeats (Palermo 0-2, Juventus 0-3, Cesena 1-2 all away), two draws (Cesena 1-1, Juventus 0-0 both at home) and one win (Palermo 1-0 at home). The Scudetto was more than enough.
Lazio however would never get to take part in the European Cup a year later. After trouble on the pitch and off it, in a UEFA Cup return match against Ipswich Town, Lazio had been banned from all European competitions for three years, then reduced to one. Lazio players had lost their heads with on field scuffles with opponents and referee plus crowd trouble, things had got completely out of hand. In Lazio and their fans defence they had witnessed one of the most scandalous refereeing performances in the history of football by a certain Van der Kraft from Holland (seeing an English defender saving the ball with his hands on the goal line for an unawarded penalty was just one example of the Dutchman's exploits). The punishment was inevitable but it was a pity Lazio were not able to participate in a tournament they had so deserved to be in.
The scudetto celebrations however went on in Rome and the region for months and were enough to help forget the European disappointment. SS. Lazio were Champions of Italy!
Roma, not that anyone at Lazio cared, finished 8th. Their best result came in May when they beat Juventus 3-2 at home while they lost the second derby too, again 1-2 after going ahead. Top scorer was Pierino Prati with 8 league goals.
So, Lazio Italian Champions for the first time while saying goodbye for now were Verona, Genoa and Foggia.
Lazio 1973-74
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 45 |
Coppa Italia | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
UEFA Cup | 4 | 2 | - | 2 | 8 |
Total | 44 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 63 |
Top five appearances (Complete Player Statistics)
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | |
42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | |
42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | |
Giuseppe Wilson | 42 | 30 | 8 | 4 |
Mario Frustalupi | 40 | 30 | 6 | 4 |
Top five goalscorers (Complete Player Statistics)
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Giorgio Chinaglia | 34 | 24 | 4 | 6 |
14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |
Franco Nanni | 2 | 2 | - | - |
2 | 2 | - | - | |
Luciano Re Cecconi | 2 | 2 | - | - |
Let's talk about Paolo Franzoni
Paolo Franzoni was born in Livorno, on January 15, 1948.
He started playing football with local G.S Rosignano Solvay and then at 17 joined Reggiana in Serie B. He only played one league game under Romolo Bizzotto and the Granata finished 15th.
In 1966 he changed team but not colours as he joined Torino in Serie A. The manager was Marino Bergamasco (with Nereo Rocco as T.D) but Franzoni never made his debut for Toro who finished 7th. His teammates included future Lazio, Carlo Facchin and Giambattista Moschino.
In 1967 he went home and joined Livorno on loan in Serie B. He played 4 league games under Leandro Remondini and the Amaranto finished 7th.
In 1968 he joined Como, again on loan, in Serie B. The manager was Franco Viviani and Franzoni played 17 league games with 2 goals (Monza, SPAL). The Lariani finished 6th.
In 1969 he signed for Piacenza in Serie B. In his first year the "Lupi" were relegated while in his second they finished 15th in C1. Franzoni played 78 league games and scored 10 goals.
In 1971 he joined Sorrento in Serie B. The manager was first Nicola D'Alessio and then Pasquale Atripaldi and the Rossoneri were relegated. Franzoni played 28 league games with 5 goals.
In 1972 he changed coast and joined Brindisi in Serie B. The manager of the "Messapici" was future Lazio, Luis Vinicio and they finished 7th. Franzoni played 37 league games and scored 6 goals.
In 1973 came his big chance and he joined Lazio in Serie A. The manager was legendary Tommaso Maestrelli. The Biancocelesti had gone close to the Scudetto the previous year and were now giving it another shot. It turned out to be a triumphant season and Lazio won their first ever Italian title. Franzoni made a good contribution with 10 league appearances with 1 goal (Roma) and 6 games in Coppa Italia.
The following year Lazio finished 4th. Their season was affected by Maestrelli's deteriorating health, in fact April for the last six matches he was replaced by Roberto Lovati so he could undergo treatment. Lazio's best results were beating Juventus 1-0 and Milan 3-0, both at home. Franzoni again played 10 league games with 2 goals (Bologna, Vicenza, both winners) and 3 games in Coppa Italia. The Biancocelesti were unable to play in the European Cup as they had been banned for a year (originally it had been three) following the ugly scenes after the home game against Ipswich the previous season.
The following season in 1975-76 Franzoni joined Avellino in Serie B. The manager was first Antonio Gianmarinaro (1-13) and then Corrado Viciani (14-38) and the Irpini finished 9th. Franzoni played 29 league games with 4 goals. One of his teammates was former Lazio, Rino Gritti.
In 1976-77 he signed for Ternana in Serie B. He played under three different managers: Edmondo Fabbri (1-11), Cesare Maldini (12-24) and Omero Andreani (25-38). The Rossoverdi finished 14th and Franzoni played 21 league games with 1 goal.
In 1977-78 he joined Piacenza on loan in Serie C. The "Piace" managers were Ezio Galbiati (1-29) and Sergio Montanari (30-38) and they finished 4th allowing them to participate in the following year's new C1 league. Franzoni played 25 league games with 5 goals.
Franzoni's last club was Frosinone in 1978-79. The Ciocari, under Adelmo Eufemi and then former Lazio Umberto Mannocci, finished 18th in C2 and were relegated to Serie D. Franzoni played 20 league games with 2 goals.
Franzoni then retired at 31.
He then became a manager starting where he had played in the early 70's, Sorrento. In 1981-82 he took the Rossoneri to 12th place in C2.
In 1982-83 he was back at another old haunt, Gioventù Brindisi in C2. The Biancazzurri were relegated and then folded in 1985.
In 1983-84 he was at Sant'Elena (Quartucciu- Cagliari) in C2. It was an unfortunate season and the Sardinians were kicked out of the league halfway through for bankruptcy (the first case in Italy).
In 1984-85 he was back on the mainland with Civitavecchia (a port north of Rome) in C2. "La Vecchia" finished 12th.
In 1985-86 he returned to Sardinia but to the north-west and was in charge at Alghero in Interregionale (regional amateur level). The "Catalani" (The Catalans) finished 7th.
After a few years break in 1991-92 he reappeared at Bolzano in Interregionale and the Eagles finished 6th. That was his last direct involvement in football.
Franzoni was a forward who played more for the centre forwards than for himself. He was the classic "spalla" (side kick /partner). He had a nomadic career up and down the country but his peak was at Lazio.
At Lazio he stayed two years with 29 appearances and 3 goals.
He will forever be remembered as Italian champion at Lazio. He was a reserve in the Scudetto winning team of 1973-74 but a reserve who got 10 league games and scored a crucial goal the first of the two winning derbies of that incredible season. An integral part of Maestrelli's squad and deservedly “Campione d'Italia".
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1973-74 | 16 (1) | 10 (1) | 6 |
1974-75 | 13 (2) | 10 (2) | 3 |
Total | 29 (3) | 20 (3) | 9 |
Sources
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