We have decided to make it difficult for ourselves and consequently we are going to start on our ideal teams decade by decade.
The 1980’s was probably one of the most difficult periods for Lazio. To begin with an unjust relegation to Serie B due to the totonero scandal, three years to get back to Serie A, the Giorgio Chinaglia presidency dream which turned into a nightmare, three more years of Serie B including the famous -9 season and then finally the definite return to Serie A.
Many players, some excellent, some awful, some that became heroes, some we would rather forget.
It is always very difficult to determine a top 11 of any period and we are sure that many will disagree with our choices. There are certainly heroes that are in our hearts and will never be forgotten. But some players were bound to be left out and our choices are also based on a tactical equilibrium. We have chosen from those who played for Lazio from the 1980-81 season to the 1989-90 season. The stats below indicate this time span.
Apart from the chosen players, we would like to give a special mention to the entire -9 squad, including Giuliano Fiorini, Mimmo Caso and Fabio Poli, without whom we would possibly not even be talking about Lazio today.
The Team
Nando Orsi: Great goalkeeper, played for Lazio from 1982 to 1985 and then again from 1989-97. 95 appearances in the 1980s for the Biancocelesti, 134 in total.
Gabriele Podavini: Fantastic right back, powerful shot, great athlete, a modern player for the times. He played for Lazio from 1982 to 1987. Part of the -9 squad. Total appearances: 171 with 12 goals.
Filippo Citterio: Excellent left back, he played for Lazio from 1979 to 1981. 1980's appearances 43, 7 goals; Total appearances: 79 and 8 goals.
Raimondo Marino: Splendid libero but also all-round defender. Part of the -9 squad. Played for Lazio from 1986 to 1989. Total appearances: 103 with 7 goals.
Angelo Gregucci: Classic centre back, excellent header, drove Marco Van Basten mad when he man-marked him. Played from 1986 to 1994. Part of the -9 squad. 1980's appearances 135 with 10 goals. Total appearances: 212 with 13 goals.
Antonio Elia Acerbis: Left winger, great speed, never spoke to journalists. Part of the -9 squad. Played from 1986 to 1989. Total appearances 113 with 3 goals.
Paolo Di Canio: Right winger (in all senses).. fantastic talent, came from the Lazio youth setup. Played from 1988 to 1990 and then returned in 2004 until 2006. In the 80s he played 63 games with 6 goals. Total appearances: 124 with 20 goals.
Lionello Manfredonia: Exceptional player. Started in defence in the 1970s but then in the 80s he was moved forward to midfield with excellent results. A product of the youth sector, he stayed with Lazio from 1975 to 1985, with the exception of the two-year ban. Played 93 games in the 1980s with 8 goals. Total appearances for Lazio: 234 with 10 goals.
Bruno Giordano: Technically the best Lazio centre forward of all time. Fantastic shot, good on set pieces, good dribbler, all that was missing was the header. A product of the youth sector, he played with the first team from 1975 to 1985 with the exception of the two-year ban. Played 99 games in the 80s with 37 goals. Total appearances for Lazio: 260 with 117 goals.
Gabriele Pin: A very serious, silent leader, great vision of the game, with a good shot. An excellent midfielder. Part of the -9 squad. 155 appearances in the 1980’s with 13 goals, 225 with 16 goals in total. Played from 1986 to 1992.
Ruben Sosa: One of the first foreign players signed after the reopening of the borders, Ruben Sosa from Uruguay was Lazio’s first real masterclass player on their return to Serie A. Fast, very technical, ideal partner for any centre forward, he is still a hero today. 70 games and 20 goals in the 80s, 140 appearances with 47 goals between 1988 and 1992.
Substitutes
Giuliano Terraneo: Very experienced and reliable goalkeeper, he played during the -9 year with 45 appearances. A keeper one could always count on.
Arcadio Spinozzi: The perfect example of a man-to-man marker. Ruthless, sometimes nasty, a player to have on the bench just in case. He played from 1980 to 1986 with 132 appearances and one goal.
Enrico Vella: One of the most popular players of the 1980s despite not staying long. Great midfielder, had everything that was needed. 52 appearances and 6 goals, he arrived in 1982 and left in the autumn of 1983.
Vincenzo D'Amico: Our hero, our captain, scudetto protagonist at a very young age, saved us many times and was also one of the most important Lazio players in the early 1980s. Played from 1971 to 1986, with the exception of 1980-81 with Torino, appearing in 338 games with 51 goals. In the 1980s he made 137 appearances with 27 goals.
Paolo Monelli came to Lazio in 1987 with one main objective: to score goals and take Lazio up to Serie A. He did so with great regularity scoring 14 goals in 42 appearances. Very reliable striker, left Lazio too soon.
Manager
Eugenio Fascetti. The mastermind behind the exceptional -9 season and the return to Serie A in 1988. We would have loved to have seen him in Serie A with Lazio but that was not to be. Unforgettable and great manager. Was also a former Lazio player in the 1960s.
Bình luận