Disappointing home debut for Italian champions
Lazio toil to 2-2 draw with second tier Genoa
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had won their historic first Scudetto. Led by manager Tommaso Maestrelli the Biancocelesti had beaten Foggia on May 12 to become Italian champions. The celebrations had gone on all summer in Rome and all over the region.
In the meantime, Italy had taken part in the World Cup in Germany. There had already been some controversy because Lazio as title holders had hoped and expected to have a few more players called up. Instead, only three were included and of those only Giorgio Chinaglia had got playing time. His campaign ended in a black cloud too as he openly criticised the manager Ferruccio Valcareggi's decision to substitute him in the game against Haiti, with eloquent hand gestures. The gesture itself was quite tame for modern standards and was not openly rude but clearly lacking respect. In Italy however there was an uproar and Chinaglia was a sort of scapegoat for Italy's fiasco. Lazio, already unpopular for having broken Juventus' dominance, were now whistled everywhere they went in their northern pre-season friendlies due to Chinaglia's antics.
More disappointing was Lazio not being able to represent Italy in the European Cup, due to a one-year ban after the previous year's Lazio vs Ipswich incidents (pitch invasion, brawls etc) in a UEFA Cup tie.
The summer market the squad had gone largely untouched. The main arrival was midfielder Roberto Badiani (Sampdoria) while leaving were midfielders Pierpaolo Manservisi (Mantova) and Ferruccio Mazzola (Sant' Angelo).
The league would not start until October 6 but in August-September there was the Coppa Italia to play. Lazio were in a group with Atalanta, Genoa, Pescara and Roma. So far Lazio had played one game, drawing 0-0 away to Atalanta. Today was their first official game in Rome with the Italian flag sewed onto the shirts in recognition of their status as champions.
Genoa had been relegated the previous season. The Rossoblu finished 16th under manager Arturo Silvestri. The Grifone had lost both games against Lazio.
This season the manager was Guido Vincenzi. The main signings were defenders Tiziano Mutti (Inter via Taranto), Ignazio Arcoleo (Palermo-on loan), midfielders Franco Bergamaschi (Milan-on loan), Francesco Rizzo (Cesena) and forward Silvino Chiappara (Sestri Levante).
Leaving were Franco Ferrari (Parma - on loan), former Lazio Antonio Maggioni (Arezzo - on loan), Giorgio "Custer" Garbarini (Como), midfielder Claudio Maselli (Bologna) and forward Antonio Bordon (Cesena).
Genoa's most famous player was an end of career Mariolino Corso who had played 413 league games and won 4 Scudetti and 2 European Cups with Inter. The Rossoblu also had a young Roberto Pruzzo in the squad (a Lazio derby rival later in his career).
Genoa were starting their Coppa Italia campaign today against Lazio as it was a five-team group and Genoa rested in the first fixture.
Italian Champions against Serie B opposition, needless to say Lazio were expected to win.
The match: Sunday, September 1, 1974, Stadio Flaminio, Rome
A capacity crowd in the small Flaminio stadium for Lazio's first home game since winning the Scudetto. It was a hot evening with a "scirocco" wind bringing sand from the Sahara Desert to the capital.
Lazio had the title winning team out with the exception of Roberto Badiani instead of Franco Nanni.
Lazio started at an extremely high tempo but Genoa managed to hold their own and played on the counterattack. In the 13th minute however, Lazio scored. The Biancocelesti had a freekick on the side of the area, Mario Frustalupi floated the ball in and Vincenzo D'Amico headed into the corner of the goal. Lazio 1 Genoa 0 and a rare goal with his head for the "Golden Boy", better known for his dribblings and assists.
Genoa reacted well with veteran Mariolino Corso pulling the strings in midfield. Lazio slowed down, maybe thinking most of the hard work had been done. The two full-backs Gigi Martini and Sergio Petrelli tended to push up together leaving Lazio vulnerable at the back.
In the 28th minute the visitors had a freekick at the edge of the area. Corso sent it into the middle where Giancarlo Oddi clashed with Roberto Pruzzo and the ball arrived to Tiziano Mutti who did not think twice and blasted it past Felice Pulici. Lazio 1 Genoa 1.
Lazio were in confusion while Genoa were on a high. In the 37th minute the Serie B outfit took the lead. On a high freekick from the side-line Pruzzo outjumped the defenders and headed in. Lazio 1 Genoa 2.
Lazio were in shock, tense and frustrated by this unexpected turn of events. They attacked furiously however and equalised five minutes later. In the 42nd minute Frustalupi put in a low cross which Petrelli lunged in on and with an outstretched leg put the ball in the back of the net. Lazio 2 Genoa 2.
Lazio almost went into the break in the lead but Renzo Garlaschelli hit the crossbar so it was all square after the first 45 minutes, 2-2.
An eventful first half with Lazio struggling against an unexpectedly competitive Genoa side.
The second half was less exciting. Lazio came back on determined to put things straight and attacked continuously. The Genoa defence however held firm and as Lazio's energies faded even threatened on the counter attack.
In the 72nd minute the visitors took off striker Pruzzo for midfielder Paolo Mariani to protect the precious and prestigious result.
Ten minutes later both sides made changes, Lazio replaced Frustalupi with forward Paolo Franzoni and Genoa substituted Roberto Rosato with Mauro Della Bianchina.
The heat and lack of match fitness had taken its toll by now and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
A disappointing debut for Lazio in front of their own fans. A reality check for the Italian champions, every team would be out to get them now. One thing is to win once, however amazing the feat, another is to do it again. Unlike the northern clubs, Lazio were not used to winning and they were now in unexplored territory.
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Petrelli, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Badiani, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi (82' Franzoni), D'Amico
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Genoa
Girardi, Mutti, Bittolo, Gregori, Rosato (82' Della Bianchina), Mendoza, Bergamaschi, Pruzzo (72' Mariani), Arcoleo, Corso
Substitutes: Lonardi, Rossetti, Marchini
Manager: Vincenzi
Referee: Lazzaroni
Goals: 13' D'Amico, 27' Mutti, 37' Pruzzo, 42' Petrelli
What happened next
In Coppa Italia Lazio were then eliminated. In the following games the Biancocelesti lost 1-2 to Pescara and 0-1 to Roma.
In Serie A Lazio started well with three consecutive wins. In January they beat Juventus 1-0 but ultimately did not repeat the previous triumphant season despite still challenging for the Scudetto until March. Then a derby defeat and Tommaso Maestrelli having to take a pause due to a diagnosis of cancer definitely ended their hopes. The players with tears in their eyes then crumbled 1-5 at home to Torino. In the end Lazio finished 4th and qualified for the UEFA Cup. For the last five games the "Maestro" was replaced on the bench by Bob Lovati. Top scorer was Giorgio Chinaglia with 14 league goals.
Genoa too were knocked out of the cup. The Rossoblu then lost the next two games, Roma 0-3 and Pescara 0-1 both at home and finally drew 0-0 away to Atalanta. The group was won by Roma.
In Serie B Genoa finished 7th. The Grifone started well with four consecutive wins but then faded. In early February Vincenzi was sacked and replaced by future Lazio, Gigi Simoni. The Rossoblu ended up with 14 wins, 10 draws and 14 defeats. Top scorer was Roberto Pruzzo with 12 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus while Varese, Ternana and Vicenza were relegated (Varese and Ternana have never been back since). The Coppa Italia was won by Fiorentina who beat Milan 3-2 in the final.
Lazio 1974-75
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 34 |
Coppa Italia | 4 | - | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Total | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 37 |
Top appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Oddi | 34 | 30 | 4 |
Chinaglia | 34 | 30 | 4 |
Wilson | 34 | 30 | 4 |
Pulici | 34 | 30 | 4 |
Top goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Chinaglia | 14 | 14 | - |
Garlaschelli | 6 | 6 | - |
Martini | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Let's talk about Vincenzo D'Amico
Vincenzo D’Amico was one of the greatest talents in Italian football.
Young hero of the 1973-74 scudetto, he was a player that on a good day could be as good as Pele. He often came to the rescue when Lazio were in difficulty, a true captain. He probably would have deserved more, especially at Nazionale level, but a general ostracism on behalf of selectors never allowed him to help his country. He played as a number 10, but at times also at midfield.
Born in Latina, near Rome, on November 5 1954, he started playing football with Cos Latina youth team and then joined Almas in 1969. He was spotted by Lazio scout and former player Carlo Galli and joined the Biancocelesti in 1970. He was undisciplined, often got into trouble and certainly liked his food, but he was a natural talent. He played in the Primavera team and the reserves championship but suffered a first serious injury which forced him out for a lengthy period.
By the time he debuted professionally on May 21 1971 against Modena, he was already a well-known name among fans. In fact, many went to see that match just to have a first glimpse of Lazio’s Golden Boy, as many called him at the time.
In 1972 he suffered another bad injury which forced him out of action for over a year. After just missing out on the 1972-73 Scudetto, for the next season manager Tommaso Maestrelli selected him for the pre-season training to see if he had fully recovered. He debuted in Serie A on October 14 1973 and from then on basically never left the team.
Maestrelli made sure Vincenzo never got into trouble by confiscating his driver’s licence, limiting his wages, and making sure, via Pino Wilson, that he did not over eat. It worked as D’Amico, at only 19, became one of the protagonists of Lazio’s scudetto.
“You know why Lazio did not win the scudetto in 1973? Because I was not there. As soon as I came into the team Lazio won. That was the difference between those two years”, he often said jokingly, but not too much.
When Giorgio Chinaglia left, he found an attacking partner in Bruno Giordano who thanks to his assists became a lethal goal scorer. With age, D’Amico also became more responsible on the pitch. In 1976, with Lazio very near relegation and without Chinaglia, who had left to play for New York Cosmos, he took the team by the hand and led them to victory against Milan. Lazio stayed in Serie A.
He suffered another serious injury in 1977 which kept him out for most of the season. In 1978 he was sold to Inter but he refused to go and stayed in Rome.
In 1980 Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Wilson and Massimo Cacciatori were arrested for match fixing. But there was a game to be played which was fundamental to avoid relegation. D’Amico took a team full of young players under his wing and once again helped them to safety.
Lazio in the end were relegated just the same due to the match fixing punishment. The problem then was that President Umberto Lenzini had sold Giordano and Manfredonia and as a consequence invested heavily in the summer transfer window. But now all the deals were off, so Lazio were forced to sell D’Amico. He signed for Torino replacing Claudio Sala, who had achieved hero status at the club after winning a scudetto in 1975-76.
He personally did not do too badly for Toro, under Ercole Rabitti, but the team was not doing well and the manager was sacked. Then under Romano Cazzaniga he played a lot less and at the end of the season he requested to go back to Lazio.
He returned to a team that had just suffered a huge disappointment. While D’Amico was away the Biancocelesti, with two games to the end of the season, were joint second with Genoa and Cesena on 44 points. Genoa and Cesena won away; Lazio were struggling against Vicenza. In the 90th minute, the Biancocelesti were awarded a penalty. Stefano Chiodi, who had never missed a spot kick in his entire career, kicked the ball out. Lazio stayed in Serie B.
When D'Amico returned the team were in difficulty and a return to Serie A was never a possibility. Far from it, in the last home game against Varese Lazio, had to win to avoid relegation. Trailing two zero after only 15 minutes, D’Amico once again took the team by the hand and with a hat trick allowed Lazio to avoid serious trouble.
In 1982-83, Giordano and Manfredonia returned to play and with D’Amico’s help led Lazio to an agonised promotion. At a certain point however all had seemed lost, but then Lazio managed a late comeback and clinched promotion with a draw in the last game. A memorable moment was D’Amico’s goal against Milan. Lazio were 2-1 down and in the dying minutes Enrico Vella gave a great ball to Vincenzo. His shot hit the crossbar, Milan were unable to clear, ball back to D’Amico who equalised.
The first year in Serie A was not easy. Giorgio Chinaglia had come back as President but Lazio were struggling. Things went from bad to worse. In a match at Ascoli, Giordano broke his leg following a ruthless tackle by Antonio Bogoni (who was not even booked). Lazio only had nine points after the first half of the season. At this point D’Amico and Manfredonia took matters in their own hands and stepped up to lead the team. Lazio managed to avoid relegation in the last match. Unforgettable were his two goals against Roma in the derby which allowed Lazio to draw a game in which they were clear underdogs.
Nobody could do very much in the 1984-85 season. The disastrous decision by Chinaglia to sack Paolo Carosi and call Juan Carlos Lorenzo to manage Lazio was a nail in the coffin for the BIancocelesti's hopes of avoiding relegation. The 1985-86 season was his last year at Lazio. Physical problems limited his appearances to just 12.
In total Vincenzo D’Amico played 338 games for Lazio (201 in Serie A, 75 in Serie B, 55 in Coppa Italia and 7 in the UEFA Cup) and scored 51 goals (25 in Serie A, 15 in Serie B and 11 in Coppa Italia). He is in ninth place as far as number of total appearances for Lazio are concerned, ahead of Cristian Ledesma and behind Luca Marchegiani.
In 1986 he signed for Ternana in Serie C2 and stayed for two seasons before an umpteenth serious injury forced Vincenzo to retire.
As far as the Nazionale, D’Amico had a difficult relationship with the Azzurri. He played in the Juniors as a kid, in the Under-23's and the B team. Nonetheless he was never taken into consideration by Enzo Bearzot until he moved to Torino. Then he was called up a couple of times but never got to play. A final argument with Bearzot then ultimately eliminated all future possibilities.
After he stopped playing D’Amico did some scouting for Lazio and managed some amateur teams. His main job however was as commentator for RAI, the state-owned television channel, particularly Serie B.
Death
Vincenzo died in Rome on July 1, 2023. He had been fighting against cancer for the past couple of years and in a post on Facebook on May 7 he had written “they tell me that cancer patients bring out unexpected strengths!!! I’m trying”.
Lazio issued a statement: “President Claudio Lotito and all S.S. Lazio heard with great sadness and deep emotion the news of Vincenzo D'Amico's death, an undisputed protagonist of the 1973/74 Scudetto. Lazio legend and courageous captain in times of difficulty for the Club, Vincenzino, as many have always called him, made fans of different generations fall in love with his magic on the pitch and his infinite attachment to the jersey. D`Amico played for Lazio from 1971 to 1980 and, after a year in Turin, from 1981 to 1986: he never lacked passion, commitment and dedication to the Biancocelesti colours. President Lotito, on behalf of the entire Club, extends his most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. We will never forget you, Vincenzo!”
D’Amico was a Lazio legend. Loved by the fans, his attachment to Lazio in times of trouble was always commendable and he will never be forgotten.
Oh Captain! My captain!
Lazio career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
1971-72 | 6 (1) | - | 1 | 5 (1) | - |
1973-74 | 33 (2) | 27 (2) | - | 6 | 3 |
1974-75 | 30 (1) | 26 | - | 4 (1) | - |
1975-76 | 31 (5) | 22 (4) | - | 8 (1) | 1 |
1976-77 | 21 (3) | 17 (2) | - | 4 (1) | - |
1977-78 | 14 (3) | 9 (2) | - | 2 (1) | 3 |
1978-79 | 28 (3) | 25 (2) | - | 3 (1) | - |
1979-80 | 33 (5) | 28 (4) | - | 5 (1) | - |
1981-82 | 33 (10) | - | 30 (10) | 3 | - |
1982-83 | 38 (5) | - | 34 (4) | 4 (1) | - |
1983-84 | 32 (8) | 25 (7) | - | 5 (1) | - |
1984-85 | 25 (3) | 22 (2) | - | 3 (1) | - |
1985-86 | 11 (2) | - | 10 (1) | 1 (1) | - |
Total | 338 (51) | 201 (25) | 75 (15) | 55 (11) | 7 |
Sources
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