A win at last
Lazio win their first game of the season thanks to D’Amico and Dell’Anno
Also on this day: October 28, 1979: Lazio Roma 1-1. Vincenzo Paparelli, a Lazio supporter, was killed by a flare fired from Curva Sud before the start of the game. Player of the day: Vincenzo Zucchini
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had avoided relegation by drawing 2-2 in the last game at Pisa. They had fought all season, changed manager from Giancarlo Morrone to Paolo Carosi, lost their star striker Bruno Giordano due to injury for many months, but in the end a Giordano double allowed Lazio to stay in Serie A.
“We will never suffer like this again”, said President Giorgio Chinaglia at the end of Pisa-Lazio.
But the club still had debts and it did not look like anybody in the US would come to the rescue. Chinaglia had a plan though. He was going to sell Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia, settle the debts and start building the club and team.
Giorgio in 1984 sold the Lazio golden boys to Juventus in exchange for money and a number of players. Giordano was going to be substituted by Massimo Briaschi who would be bought by Juventus from Genoa and given to Lazio. Once this deal was done, it was going to be Manfredonia’s turn.
First problem: Briaschi had no intention of coming to Lazio. Chinaglia offered him an amazing salary but he was not interested. Juventus would have offered Aldo Serena as a replacement but he also refused. Second problem: Juventus offered Giordano a lower wage compared to what he got at Lazio. Juve had a policy of low salaries but rich bonuses, but Giordano refused. At this point both deals failed and the two stayed in Rome. But this meant that all Chinaglia’s plans for a better team also collapsed. A few players were signed but they were not all that great: forward Oliviero Garlini (Cesena), defenders Massimo Storgato (Verona) and Arturo Vianello (Pisa) and midfielder Fortunato Torrisi (Catania). Ernesto Calisti returned from his loan to Cavese. Leaving Lazio were Angelo Cupini (Bari), Mauro Meluso (Cremonese), Mario Piga (Palermo), Rinaldo Piraccini (Pistoiese) and Massimo Piscedda (loan to Taranto).
The season started in August with the Coppa Italia. Lazio had not done too badly and were almost through to the second stage. The last game was against Roma. A point each would have meant that they would both go through. But a ridiculous penalty given to Roma and an Antonio Di Carlo goal gave Roma the win. Lazio could still have got to the round of 16 anyway on goal difference. Genoa had to beat Pistoiese 5-0 to overtake Lazio and unfortunately this is exactly what happened with three goals in the last 8 minutes. The Biancocelesti were out and Chinaglia was furious. His temper did not improve after Lazio lost the first Serie A game against Fiorentina and most certainly not after losing 5-0 against Zico’s Udinese. He blamed Carosi for being too soft with the players and sacked him. Juan Carlos Lorenzo was called in his place.
Juan Carlos Lorenzo had been Lazio manager when Chinaglia joined in the 60's and he was very fond of him.
Under Lorenzo Lazio had drawn three consecutive games and lost the last one with Torino. They were second from last. A win today would be very important.
The match: Sunday, October 28, 1984, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio were without Joao Batista and Lionello Manfredonia so the team had been revolutionised, but weirdly. For a game that needed to be won, Lorenzo placed five defenders, two midfielders and three forwards. It was up to Michael Laudrup to be playmaker, helped by Massimo Storgato, certainly not his cup of tea.
As a consequence, in the first 45 minutes Lazio were just plain awful. Cremonese took control of the game and missed numerous chances. In the 17th minute Marco Nicoletti was unmarked and with an open goal opportunity. He kicked the ball out. In the 21st minute Fulvio Bonomi shot too early allowing Fernando Orsi to parry. Lazio did try something. In the 7th minute Laudrup took a shot which was saved by the keeper and in 34th Vincenzo D’Amico had an opportunity when Fausto Borin missed a ball on a cross, but his shot was saved on the line by Mario Montorfano.
In the beginning of the second half, Cremonese finally scored. In the 51st minute Felice Garzilli on the counter attack passed to Walter Viganò who with no opposition was able to go into the penalty area and beat Orsi.
At this point, Lorenzo made a long-awaited substitution. In the 55th minute, out went a terrible Fortunato Torrisi and in came Francesco Dell’Anno, 17 years of age and star of the primavera, for his debut in Serie A. A minute later he received the ball, dribbled past three Cremonese defenders and from the byline on the left crossed in the middle. Oliviero Garlini somehow managed to shoot. The ball beat Borin, Gianluigi Galbagini managed to save on the line but kicked it against the keeper. The ball bounced back to the defender first and then off Borin once more, before it went into the net. Comical goal but at least Lazio scored.
The Biancocelesti started to play much better but Garlini decided to hit Garzilli and was sent off. Cremonese had an incredible chance in the 74th minute. Bonomi crossed into the box from the left, Chiorri made a wonderful backheel pass to Nicoletti completely unmarked, great save from Orsi. At this point Lorenzo decided to send in a real midfielder, Gianpiero Marini for a defender playing at midfield, Storgato. And things improved.
In the 81st minute Laudrup went down the left and dribbled past a Cremonese player, then another, and another, reached the by-line and put a fantastic pass to D’Amico who controlled the ball with his chest and then volleyed into the back of the net.
Victory at last.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Calisti, FIlisetti, Vianello, Podavini, Storgato (76’ G. Marini), D’Amico, Torrisi (55’ Dell’Anno), Giordano, Laudrup, Garlini
Substitutes: Cacciatori, Spinozzi, Fonte
Manager: Lorenzo
Who played for Cremonese
Borin, Montorfano (83' Meluso), Galvani, Garzilli, Paolinelli, Galbagini (46' Mei), Viganò, Bonomi, Nicoletti, Bencina, Chiorri
Substitutes: Rigamonti, Ami, Finardi
Manager: Mondonico
Referee: D’Elia
Goals: 51’ Viganò, 56’ Borin (og), 82’ D’Amico
What happened next
Lazio then drew the derby, beat Como and in Genoa managed to draw against Sampdoria in the last minutes of the game despite being 2-0 down. They then lost seven consecutive games and after a goalless draw at home against Ascoli, lost 4-0 against Napoli. That was the end of Lorenzo. In came Giancarlo Oddi and Bob Lovati. Lazio were second from last, six points away from safety. A miracle was needed. After two draws in the derby and against Atalanta, Lazio lost five consecutive games. One last moment of pride arrived in the last game at home against Juventus when, 3-1 down, they managed to equalise and almost win, hence showing that if they had continued with Carosi, the season would probably have been different.
Lazio were relegated despite having a team with Michael Laudrup, Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Joāo Batista and Vincenzo D’Amico.
Laudrup and Orsi were the players with most appearances (35), Giordano the top scorer with 8 goals.
Lazio 1984-85
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 16 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Total | 35 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 24 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Laudrup | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Orsi | 35 | 30 | 5 |
Manfredonia | 32 | 27 | 5 |
Giordano | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Calisti | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Filisetti | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Top Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Giordano | 8 | 5 | 3 |
D'Amico | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Podavini | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Let's talk about Arturo Vianello
Arturo Vianello was born in Venice on January 12, 1958. He started playing football in the youth teams of Inter and was sent on loan to Forlì for the 1977-78 season in Serie C. The next season he was at Rimini in Serie B, again on loan. In 1979 he signed for Pisa. He stayed in the leaning tower town for five years, three in Serie B and two in Serie A.
For the 1984-85 Lazio needed a libero so they chose Vianello since he was an experienced player. It was a disastrous year and the Biancocelesti were relegated. In the summer he was sold to Ternana in Serie C1.
After a season in Umbria, he went to play for Spal again in the third tier. His last years of active football were played in Serie C2, first with Siena and then two years for Carrarese.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1984-85 | 26 (1) | 22 (1) | 4 |
Sources
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