Flying Donkeys finally fall
At the fifth attempt Lazio defeat Chievo but need a deflected Mihajlovic free kick to do so
Also on this day: October 5, 2014: Lazio Sassuolo 3-2. Lazio cruise, suffer, gain control, suffer again but ultimately win three deserved points. Player of the day: Lorik Cana
The season so far
The previous season had been a positive one for Lazio, despite being the first without Alessandro Nesta. The Biancocelesti, under Roberto Mancini, finished 4th and therefore qualified for the Champions League (preliminary round). They also reached two semi-finals: Coppa Italia (Roma 1-3) and UEFA Cup (eventual winners Porto 1-4 on aggregate). Top scorer was Claudio Lopez with 17 goals (15 in A).
This season more sacrifices were made due to the club's critical financial situation. Leaving were Scudetto heroes Luca Marchegiani (Chievo), defender Giuseppe Pancaro (Milan) and midfielder Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid) plus midfielders Dino Baggio, (Blackburn-on loan), Lucas Castromán (Udinese-on loan) and forward Enrico Chiesa (Siena). It seemed Dejan Stankovic would also leave but ended up staying, for now.
Arriving were keeper Matteo Sereni (Brescia), defender Luciano Zauri (Atalanta), midfielders Demetrio Albertini (Milan) and Ousmane Dabo (Atalanta) and striker Roberto Muzzi (Udinese). Lazio also welcomed back Scudetto hero Sergio Conceição (free agent).
So not a lot to get excited about but this was the transition phase between Sergio Cragnotti's golden era and Claudio Lotito's austerity era. The President at the moment was Ugo Longo.
Lazio’s season had started in August with the Champions League preliminary round and Lazio had qualified, beating Benfica 4-1 on aggregate. In the group phase Lazio then had beaten Beşiktaş 2-0 away and drawn 2-2 at home to Sparta Prague.
So far, in Serie A Lazio had played four games and won 2 (Lecce 4-1 at home on debut and Sampdoria 2-1 away), drawn 1 (2-2 away at Empoli the previous week) and lost 1 (Parma 2-3 at home). Lazio were currently 6th on 7 points.
Chievo had finished 7th the previous season, under manager Luigi Delneri. The Clivensi had beaten Lazio 3-2 in Rome and drawn 1-1 in Verona. The Gialloblu had also defeated Milan and Inter at home and Roma away. Top scorer was Federico Cossato with 9 goals (all in A).
This season Delneri had stayed on. The main new players were keepers Luca Marchegiani (Lazio) and Giorgio Frezzolini (Lecce), defenders Luigi Sala (Atalanta - on loan), César (Fluminense), Andrea Barzagli (Ascoli), midfielders Franco Semioli (Torino), Roberto Baronio (Lazio-on loan), Andrea Zanchetta (Vicenza-back from loan) and Mario Santana (Palermo-on loan).
Leaving Verona were keepers Cristiano Lupatelli (Roma) and Marco Ambrosio (Chelsea), defenders Emanuele Pesaresi (Ternana-on loan), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Stefano Lorenzi (Atalanta -end of loan), midfielders Daniel Andersson (Palermo - end of loan then Ancona on loan), Eugenio Corini (Palermo), Luciano (Inter - on loan), Ivano Della Morte (Genoa) plus forwards Oliver Bierhoff (retiring) and Luigi Beghetto (Piacenza).
So far, in Serie A Chievo had won 2 (Lecce 2-1 away and Perugia 4-1 at home), drawn 1 (Brescia 1-1 away on debut) and lost 1 (Juventus 1-2 at home). The "Mussi Volanti" (Flying Donkeys) therefore had 7 points and were in 6th position, the same as Lazio.
A game between two sides in the same position in the table. Lazio had never beaten Chievo at home or away, 2 defeats and 3 draws. After one of the draws however, in Coppa Italia in 1995, Lazio had won on penalties. Time to beat the Clivensi inside the 90 minutes.
The match: Sunday, October 5, 2003, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Today was "Maglia Day", an occasion to celebrate Lazio's history and all the different shirts worn over 103 years. The season ticket holders had been given a special shirt signed by all the players so that one was very much in evidence among the 45,000 present.
The afternoon started with further celebrations for the return, now as an opponent, of Scudetto winning keeper Luca Marchegiani, who had served Lazio well for ten years.
The game was very tactical from the start. Lazio attacked but had great difficulty against Chievo's high defence and constant pressing.
The first half was a very cagey affair with few goal scoring chances. Chievo had a Sala header early on go wide and Lazio had a Jaap Stam freekick saved by Marchegiani, a goal line clearance by Santana and a penalty appeal for a Sala foul on Roberto Muzzi. Not much else happened apart from Chievo muffling Lazio's attacks and making it clear with time wasting tactics that they would happily take a draw.
For the second half both sides made replacements in attack. Muzzi had injured his ankle and was substituted by Simone Inzaghi while the visitors changed Cossato with Pinilla.
The game followed the same pattern as the first. Lazio pushing forward but finding it extremely difficult to create chances. Lots of corners, crosses, scrambles but not much else.
In the 54th minute Luciano Zauri replaced Beppe Favalli for Lazio and in the 58th former Lazio Daniele Franceschini came on for a disappointing Semioli.
Simone Inzaghi was lively at least and brought some energy up front. In the 64th minute Fiore was possibly fouled by Franceschini, centrally outside the box. The referee thought so anyway and blew his whistle. The specialist Sinisa Mihajlovic stepped up but this time needed a blatant deflection to wrong foot and beat "Conte" Marchegiani. A stroke of luck but Lazio 1 Chievo 0.
The visitors reacted by bringing on future Lazio Giuseppe Sculli for a subdued Amauri in the 69th minute.
Chievo however, after being more interested in destroying than constructing, had difficulty in changing their game plan. It was only in the last stages of the game that they put on any real pressure and closed Lazio in their area. Despite Fabio Liverani getting himself sent off in injury time Lazio resisted to hold on to their first clean sheet of the season and finally managed to get a win over Chievo at their fifth attempt.
By no means a vintage performance by Lazio and an unspectacular game against tactically difficult opposition. Nevertheless, the positive vibes of "Maglia Day" continued with a feel good three points.
Lazio moved up to 5th on 10 points.
Unknowingly but on the down side it would be another ten years until Lazio beat Chievo again at home...
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Stam, Couto, Mihajlovic, Favalli (54' Zauri), Fiore, Dabo, Liverani, Stankovic (82' Giannichedda), Muzzi (46' S. Inzaghi), C. Lopez
Manager: Mancini
Who played for Chievo
Marchegiani, Moro, Sala, D'Anna, Lanna, Semioli (58' Franceschini), Perrotta, Zanchetta, Santana, Cossato (46' Pinilla), Amauri (69' Sculli)
Substitutes: Frezzolini, Mensah, Barzagli, Morrone
Manager: Delneri
Referee: Collina
Goal: 64' Mihajlovic
Red Card: 91' Liverani (L)
What happened next
Lazio then alternated losses and wins. This sums up Lazio's season in the league, inconsistent. The best wins were against Juventus 2-0 and Inter 2-1, both at home. They ended up in 6th place (UEFA place) after 16 wins, 8 draws (including derby 1-1) and 10 defeats. Top scorer was Stefano Fiore with 16 but in Serie A it was Bernardo Corradi with 10.
In the Champions League Lazio did not make it out of the group phase, they then lost twice against Chelsea, 1-2 and 0-4, drew 1-1 at home with Beşiktaş and then lost 0-1 away to Sparta Prague. They came bottom of the group so not even a UEFA Cup consolation.
In Coppa Italia however it was a different story. In December Lazio got the better of Modena 3-0 on aggregate. In January the Biancocelesti knocked out Parma 3-1 on aggregate. Then came the semi-final in February against Milan which Lazio dominated 6-1 on aggregate, in the return game in Rome Lazio put on a magnificent display and thrashed the Rossoneri 4-0.
The final was against Juventus. In the first leg at home Lazio got a comforting 2-0 win, so took a decent lead up to Turin. Under the Mole however the Bianconeri scored after three minutes with Trezeguet and doubled straight after halftime with Del Piero. All square with 44 minutes to go, things were not looking good. Then a towering header by Corradi with twenty minutes to go and a Fiore low strike from the edge of the box, with seven minutes to play, definitely put the light blue and white ribbons on the cup. An immense satisfaction for Lazio who, in the middle of a financial crisis, still managed to lift silverware.
Chievo had another decent season and finished 9th. The Gialloblu then won 9, drew 10 (including Lazio 0-0) and lost 10. Top scorer was Cossato with 6 goals (all in A).
Serie A was won by Milan for their 17th title. It was goodbye for now to Perugia, Modena, Empoli and Ancona. Empoli are the only ones who have ever made it back since.
Lazio 2003-04
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 52 |
Coppa Italia | 8 | 6 | 2 | - | 16 |
Champions League | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Total | 50 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 76 |
Top Five Appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League |
Fiore | 47 | 32 | 7 | 8 |
Corradi | 46 | 32 | 6 | 8 |
Oddo | 44 | 31 | 7 | 6 |
Favalli | 43 | 29 | 6 | 8 |
Stam | 42 | 29 | 6 | 7 |
Top Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League |
Fiore | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
Corradi | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
Inzaghi | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Cesar | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Let’s talk about Daniele Franceschini
Daniele Franceschini was born in Rome on January 13 1976.
At 16 he joined the Lazio youth sector and in 1994-95 won the Primavera Scudetto (U19's title). It was Lazio’s 3rd title (they now have 5). The manager was former Lazio player Domenico Caso (1985-88).
In 1995-96 he joined the first team squad. The manager was Zdeněk Zeman and Lazio finished 3rd. Franceschini played 2 league games.
In 1996-97 Zeman stayed on but was replaced by Dino Zoff on January 27. Lazio finished 4th and Franceschini played 1 league game.
In January 1997 he was sent to Castel di Sangro on loan. The Castello were in Serie B, a huge feat for a town of about 5,000 inhabitants, hence the book "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro" by Joe McGinniss. Unfortunately, the survival of the previous season was not repeated and the Giallorossi finished 20th and relegated. Franceschini played 8 league games
In 1997 - 1998 he joined Foggia on loan. The "Satanelli" (The Little Devils) were in Serie B but ended up relegated under former Lazio Domenico Caso. Franceschini played 34 league games with 2 goals.
In 1998 he joined Chievo in Serie B. He stayed six seasons. The Clivensi finished 11th, 15th, 3rd (historic promotion), 5th (UEFA Cup), 7th and 9th. Franceschini played 139 league games and scored 12 goals, 4 games in Coppa Italia and 2 in the UEFA Cup. The managers were Domenico Caso (then Lorenzo Balestro), Lorenzo Balestro and then Luigi Delneri for the next four seasons.
In January 2004 he moved down to Salento and joined Lecce on loan. The Giallorossi were in Serie A and finished 10th. The manager was future Lazio, Delio Rossi and Franceschini played 15 league games with 2 goals. The highlight of the season was beating Juventus 4-3 away and Franceschini got a goal too. His teammates included future Lazio, Cristian Ledesma (2006-2015), Sebastiano Siviglia (2004-10).
In 2004-05 he went back to Chievo and stayed two more seasons. The Clivensi finished 15th and 4th (after Calciopoli). The managers were Mario Beretta and then Maurizio D'Angelo in the first season and then Giuseppe Pillon in the second. Franceschini played another 66 league games with 4 goals (including Juventus in a 1-1 draw). His teammates included Lazio connections, Luca Marchegiani (1993-2003), Roberto Baronio (1996-97,1998-99, 2005-06, 2006-08, 2009-10) and Emanuele Pesaresi (2000-01).
In 2006 he finally left Verona and signed for Sampdoria where he stayed four seasons. The Blucerchiati finished 9th, 6th (UEFA Cup), 13th and 4th (Champions League). Franceschini played 100 league games and scored 9 goals. The managers were Walter Novellino and then Walter Mazzarri for two seasons and then in the last Luigi Delneri from his Chievo days. In 2009 Sampdoria reached the Coppa Italia final but lost to Lazio on penalties (Franceschini played 88 minutes). His teammates included Lazio connections Luciano Zauri (2003-08, 2011-13) and Fabio Bazzani (2005).
In 2010-11 he returned to the capital and joined Atletico Roma. The Roman club formed from Cisco Roma and previously Cisco Lodigiani were in Lega Pro Prima Divisione (3rd tier). The Biancoblu finished 3rd but then lost in the playoffs. The manager was first Giuseppe Incocciati and then player-manager Roberto Chiappara. Franceschini played 21 league games with 2 goals. One of his teammates was again former Lazio, Roberto Baronio. At the end of the season the club folded and he retired.
In 2013 he started a coaching career. He started where he had as a player, at Lazio. From 2013 to 2015 he was involved in the Lazio academy. In 2016 he was manager of Martina in Puglia at amateur level but did not last the season. He then entered into the Italy orbit. In 2016-17 he was assistant to U21 coach Gigi Di Biagio. In 2017-18 he was in charge of the U18's and in 2019-20 of the U20's. Since 2020 he has been head coach of the U18's again.
Franceschini was a left-footed midfielder. He was a versatile player capable of attacking and defending. One of those constant, reliable players that give the team balance. He had a good club career, playing 244 games in Serie A with 17 goals and 123 in B with 10 goals.
He was formed at Lazio but was let go when only 21. Looking at his subsequent career that was clearly a mistake. A good player and a Laziale he could have been useful to the club.
Lazio Career
Season | Total Serie A Appearances |
1995-96 | 2 |
1996-97 | 1 |
Total | 3 |
Sources
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