Toothless Lazio find a way
Lazio struggle to create chances but ultimately clinch win in last fifteen minutes
Also on this day: October 15, 1950: Roma Lazio 0-1. A game largely dominated by Lazio is decided by the Argentine fifteen minutes from time. Player of the day: Stefano Malacarne
The season so far
It was Zdenek Zeman's second year in charge after the previous year's second place (although way behind champions Juventus). They had also reached the UEFA Cup quarter-final (unlucky exit to former Lazio Karl Heinz Riedle's Borussia Dortmund) and the semi-final of Italian Cup. So, they were trying to build on a positive year.
The summer market had brought defenders Guerino Gottardi (Neuchatel Xamax) and Alessandro Grandoni (Ternana). The main changes were the players leaving. It was with great sadness that Lazio said goodbye to beloved Paul Gascoigne (Rangers for 4.3 million pounds) after 3 eventful years in Rome. Also leaving were defenders Roberto Cravero (Torino), Roberto Bacci (Torino) and midfielder Giorgio Venturin (Cagliari - loan).
Cragnotti had tried to sell Beppe Signori to Parma but the fans had literally taken to the streets in thousands in protest and "convinced" the owner to keep the striker.
So, all in all, a more sober transfer market than Cragnotti's previous ones.
Serie A started on August 27 and today was the 6th fixture. Lazio had so far won two (Piacenza 4-1 at home on debut and Cagliari 1-0 away) followed by 3 draws (Bari 3-3 away but from 1-3 down in ten men, Udinese 2-2 at home and the derby 0-0). The Biancocelesti were currently joint 4th with Fiorentina on 9 points (this was only the second season with three points per victory).
In Coppa Italia Lazio had scraped through on penalties against Chievo away and would now play Udinese on October 25 in the last 16.
In the UEFA Cup Lazio had knocked out Cypriots Omonia 7-1 on aggregate. Next up were Olympique Lyonnais.
Today however was a league game and Lazio had to get back to winning ways at all costs.
Padova had finished 14th the previous season, under manager Mauro Sandreani, and stayed up after beating Genoa on penalties in a relegation playoff. The Patavini had lost 1-5 to Lazio in Rome but won 2-0 at home. Padova's best results were beating Milan 2-0 and Inter 1-0 at home and Juventus 1-0 away. Top scorer was Filippo Maniero with 9 league goals.
This season Sandreani was still manager. The main new players were: defenders Silvio Giampietro (Fidelis Andria), Stefano Pioli (Fiorentina), midfielder Stefano Fiore (Parma-on loan) and forward Nicola Amoruso (Fidelis Andria). Two Lazio connections, Stefano Fiore (2001-04) and Stefano Pioli (manager 2014-16).
Leaving were: defenders David Belleri (Sampdoria), Cristian Servidei (Lecce), Marco Franceschetti (Sampdoria), midfielders Gianni Cavezzi (Ancona), Gaetano Fontana (Alessandria), Carlo Perrone (retiring), Emanuele Pellizzaro (Fidelis Andria) and Daniele Zoratto (retiring).
The Euganei had another former Lazio in the squad, forward Giuseppe Galderisi (1987-88) and, a rarity at the time, an American Alexi Lalas.
So far, the Biancorossi had drawn 1 (Torino 1-1 at home) and lost 4 (Milan 1-2 at home on debut, Napoli 0-2 and Vicenza 1-2 away and Parma 1-3 at home). The Patavini had one point and were bottom with Cremonese.
A must win for Lazio today.
The match: Sunday, October 15, 1995, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A warm October afternoon brought about 40,000 spectators to the Olimpico.
Lazio had problems in attack as both Beppe Signori and Gigi Casiraghi were missing. Roberto Di Matteo was surprisingly on the bench, perhaps being preserved for the mid-week UEFA Cup game.
Padova also played with only one forward as Goran Vlaović was missing. The Patavini put out a very defensive formation with only Nicola Amoruso in attack, a 5-4-1 but this probably suited their intentions anyway. In midfield they had to do without Dutchman Michel Kreek too.
The game was predictably Lazio on the attack and Padova in their own half with the very occasional foray into Lazio’s.
Lazio attacked but were slow and predictable. The lack of strikers soon proved it would be a problem.
Lazio had chances: Diego Fuser had a diving header go over the bar, Alen Boksic was blatantly tripped in the area but not for the referee and Massimiliano Esposito hit a close range shot too high from a Boksic cross.
Padova rarely crossed the halfway line but were dangerous when they did, Amoruso saw Luca Marchegiani off his line but his lob was off target and before halftime Franco Gabrieli took advantage of a series of fortuitous ricochets in midfield to enter the left side of the area undisturbed, but his low cross goal effort was palmed into corner by Marchegiani. Halftime Lazio 0 Padova 0.
Lazio had been in control but Padova had not had to sweat excessively to block Lazio's blunt forward line.
For the second half Lazio replaced Paolo Negro, who was suffering on Amoruso, with Alessandro Romano.
The game restarted as it had finished. Lazio in the visitors’ half but finding it increasingly difficult even to create chances.
Fuser had a curling freekick but it was just over the bar.
In the end a stroke of luck came to Lazio's rescue. In the 75th minute the ball was cleared from a Fuser corner and the ball fell to Roberto Rambaudi at the edge of the box, Rambo went for a shot which took a deflection off defender Massimiliano Rosa in the crowded area and beat Adriano Bonaiuti. Lazio 1 Padova 0.
A lead possibly deserved for effort but certainly not for creativity. Once the defensive wall had been opened however things should now be easier.
Padova obviously had to change their game plan and made two substitutions, in the 75th forward Massimo Ciocci replaced midfielder Stefano Fiore and in the 77th Antonio Sconziano came on for Andrea Cuicchi.
Lazio now had more spaces up front and the chances started flooding in. Boksic almost scored a brilliant goal but his low left footed volley was parried into corner.
Lazio's second goal came in the 81st minute. Esposito found Fuser inside the area on the right and the Piedmontese drilled a cracking low shot into the far corner. Lazio 2 Padova 0.
Lazio after fearing a depressing afternoon were now cruising and almost made it three when Aron Winter's header came back off the bar. Maybe that would have been an excessive punishment for Padova who had foiled Lazio well for most of the game. Final score Lazio 2 Padova 0.
A comfortable win on paper but in reality, Lazio had come across big problems without their full attacking trio. Boksic is a superb player but he tends to stray to the wings too so Lazio had difficulties in the last fifteen metres. The other supposed forwards today, Esposito and Rambaudi were too similar to each other and tended to hold onto the ball too long thus making Zeman's automatisms predictable. Anyway, all is well that ends well and Signori and Casiraghi would be back the following week.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Nesta, Favalli, Marcolin, Negro (46' Romano), Chamot Rambaudi, Fuser, Boksic, Winter, M. Esposito (84' Piovanelli)
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Padova
Bonaiuti, Cuicchi (77' Sconziano), Rosa, Giampietro, Lalas, Gabrieli, Coppola, Nunziata, Longhi, Fiore (75' Ciocci), Amoruso
Substitutes: Dal Bianco, Ossari, Piovesan
Manager: Sandreani
Referee: Messina
Goals: 75' Rosa (og), 81' Fuser
What happened next
A week later Lazio drew 0-0 away at Inter (football is a funny old game). Lazio had a decent season and finished 3rd. Another positive year with some great wins; Juventus 4-0, Sampdoria 6-3, Atalanta 5-1, Cagliari 4-0, Fiorentina 4-0, Roma 1-0 all at home but also some bad and unexpected defeats, Vicenza 0-1, Piacenza 1-2, Cremonese 1-2 all away. Despite some fantastic displays, mainly at home, Lazio were too inconsistent to challenge for the title. Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 26 goals (24 in A and top with Igor Protti).
In Coppa Italia Lazio beat Udinese 1-0 away but then lost to Inter 1-2 on aggregate in the quarter finals.
In the UEFA CUP Lazio were eliminated in the round of 32 by Olympique Lyonnais 1-4 on aggregate.
Padova failed to avoid relegation. They finished 18th after 7 wins (including Inter 2-1 and Napoli 4-2, both at home), 3 draws and 24 defeats (including Lazio 1-3). Galderisi and Lalas left in the winter while forward Leonard Van Utrecht and defender Stefano Nava arrived but things did not improve. They scored goals, 41 but shipped a massive 79. Top scorer was Nicola Amoruso with 14 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Milan for the 15th time. Padova took Bari, Cremonese and Torino down with them. Padova have never been back in Serie A since.
Lazio 1995-96
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 66 |
Coppa Italia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
UEFA Cup | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Total | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 77 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Fuser | 39 | 32 | 4 | 3 |
Negro | 39 | 31 | 4 | 4 |
Di Matteo | 38 | 31 | 3 | 4 |
Signori | 38 | 31 | 4 | 3 |
Chamot | 37 | 32 | 4 | 1 |
Winter | 37 | 30 | 3 | 4 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Signori | 26 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
Casiraghi | 18 | 14 | - | 4 |
Winter | 7 | 6 | - | 1 |
Fuser | 6 | 6 | - | - |
Boksic | 4 | 4 | - | - |
Let's talk about Alessandro Romano
Alessandro Romano was born in Rome on September 29 1969.
In 1984 he was in local Roman team Lodigiani's youth set up and then spent three years at Napoli's.
His first professional club was Trento between 1988 and 1990. The Gialloblu were in C1 and finished 12th and 11th. Romano played 29 league games.
In 1990 he joined Monza where he stayed for four seasons. The Brianzoli were in C1 and finished 7th (and won Coppa Italia Serie C), 1st (promoted), 14th in B and 20th (relegated). He played 124 league games and scored 3 goals.
In 1994-95 he played a season with Cesena in Serie B. The manager was Bruno Bolchi and the Bianconeri finished 8th. Romano made 33 league appearances with 2 goals. His teammates included Lazio connections, Fabio Calcaterra (1985-86) plus a young Massimo Ambrosini (later to play 326 league games for Milan).
In 1995 Romano returned to Rome and joined Lazio. The manager was Zdeněk Zeman and the Biancocelesti finished 3rd. Romano played 7 league games, 2 in Coppa Italia and 3 in the UEFA Cup.
In 1996 he left and joined Brescia for a year. The "Rondinelle" (Swallows) won Serie B and promotion, under future Lazio Edy Reja. Romano contributed by playing 30 league games. His teammates included Lazio connections: Luciano De Paola (1993), Maurizio Neri (1991-93), the Filippini brothers (2004-05) and Luca Luzardi (1992-94) plus the great Andrea Pirlo.
In 1997-98 Romano spent a season at Genoa in Serie B. The Rossoblu finished 9th under three different managers, Gaetano Salvemini, Claudio Maselli and Tarcisio Burgnich. Romano played 20 league games. He played alongside Lazio connections: Mario Ielpo (1981-84, 1985-87), Stefano Lombardi (1998-99) and Massimo Mutarelli (2006-08).
In 1998 he returned to Brescia but after playing only 1 league game went back to Cesena. In Romagna he stayed another two seasons. The Bianconeri were in Serie B and finished 13th and 17th (relegated after playoff). Romano however left in January 2000 before the drop. His managers were Corrado Benedetti and Alberto Cavasin the first season and then Walter Nicoletti in the second. Romano played 40 league games.
In January 2000 he joined Verona in Serie A but only played one league game. The Scaligeri finished 9th under Cesare Prandelli. The Gialloblu also helped Lazio's Scudetto run by defeating Juventus 2-0 in late April (they had also beaten Lazio in March). Other Lazio connections in the squad were: Anthony Šerić (2004-05), Cristian Brocchi (2008-13) and Marco Piovanelli (1995-97).
His last club was abroad, in Scotland. In 2000 he joined Dundee in the Scottish Premiership. The manager was Italian and former teammate at Brescia, Ivano Bonetti. Romano stayed two seasons and played 36 league games for the Dark Blues.
At 32 he then retired.
He has since gone into coaching but at regional amateur level mainly in and around Rome. One club he coached was La Storta in Rome where, if it's of any interest, the two writers of this blog did their schooling.
Romano was a defender but also played in midfield. He had an honourable career without amazing highs but he played almost 350 professional games. His peak was with Lazio in 1995-96 when he played alongside club heroes such as Alessandro Nesta, Aron Winter, Beppe Signori and Alen Boksic just to name a few. He also played with greats such as Andrea Pirlo (World Cup winner in 2006 and countless other club trophies) and Dario Hubner (legend has it he drank grappa and smoked in the changing room but also scored 353 career goals).
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
1995-96 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
Source
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