This Week In Lazio History | June 10-16 | Matches, Memories, Birthdays

The week of June 10-16 is characterized by end-of-season games which have taken Lazio into Serie A a few times and also into a final.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, June 10, 1923
Venue: Campo Rondinella, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Ideale Bari 6-0
By crushing Ideale Bari with goals from Maneschi, Saraceni II, Bernardini, Filippi and Parboni, Lazio reach the final of the Southern League.

Date: Sunday, June 10, 1951
Venue: Stadio San Siro, Milan
Fixture: Milan Lazio 1-2
Lazio surprise Milan but the Rossoneri win the scudetto just the same

Date: Sunday, June 11, 1972
Venue: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Fixture: Genoa Lazio 0-2
An inspired Chinaglia and a goal by Gritti give Lazio 2-0 win to close in on promotion.

Date: Sunday, June 15, 1986
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Brescia 4-2
The Biancocelesti end a disappointing season with a consolation win. Last game and last goal for Vincenzo D’ Amico with Lazio

Date: Sunday, June 16, 1963
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Pro Patria 2-0
Lazio beat Pro Patria and are back in Serie A

Match In Focus

Date: Sunday, June 12, 1983
Venue: Stadio Comunale, Cava de’ Tirreni
Fixture: Cavese Lazio 2-2

Lazio in their third consecutive year in Serie B, after the betting scandal and relegation of 1979-80, had renewed ambitions. The previous season had been a depressingly mediocre 11th place but with the return of striker Bruno Giordano and midfielder Lionello Manfredonia (after the World Cup win armistice) they could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.

After a slow start (3 draws) the Biancocelesti had started winning games (7 consecutive between 7th and 13th fixture). After the first half of the season, they were top of the table. The second part of the fixture list saw Lazio slow down. From January 30 to May 8th, they only won twice, with 8 draws and 4 defeats.

After the 3-3 home draw against Reggiana on May 8, the penny dropped. The Biancocelesti had gone ahead three times with a Giordano hat trick, but they had not been able to hold on to the victory. To make things worse Roma that same day won the Scudetto. Manager Roberto Clagluna was sacked and in came former player Giancarlo Morrone. His first match was a 5-1 away defeat to Milan. Lazio had now been caught up by those who had been behind for most of the season. Serie A was looking very far away.

Then, luckily, they picked up and in a crucial game beat Atalanta 2-1 at home and then earned an away point at Arezzo. A week before today’s game, the Biancocelesti had won the possibly decisive four-pointer promotion clash against Catania 2-1.

So it was all down to the last match on a windy June afternoon in Cava de’ Tirreni which, unlike the name would indicate, is not on the sea. Lazio were not interested in the beach anyway, they wanted a point from today’s last football game of the season. The 7,000 travelling fans thought Ostia Beach could wait another week too.

Renato Miele, who had scored two own goals this season, finally chose the right net and his low diving header from a corner put the Biancocelesti in front in the 8^th minute. Cavese equalized around the half-hour but in the 75^th minute, young Giancarlo Marini went straight through the home defence and scored a brilliant goal with a low left foot. Cavese equalized again, this time on a penalty, in the 86^th minute. A tense few minutes awaited the faithful, but the Biancocelesti kept possession and tapped the ball around waiting for the final whistle. The welcome whistle finally came, Lazio were back in Serie A!!

After three difficult years in Serie B Lazio were back in the big time. The Biancocelesti side of town took to the streets of Rome to celebrate at Piazza del Popolo. It was not a Scudetto but it almost felt like one.

Despite Roma’s triumph things were looking up, especially with the confirmed return of Giorgio “Long John” Chinaglia from the States as new President. He promised Lazio fans would never have to suffer in the same way again and in a sense it was true… they would suffer more. Visit Lazio Stories to learn more about this season.

Birthdays This Week

• Angelo Gregucci, 10-6-1964, defender, Italy, 212 appearances, 13 goals (1986-94)

• Francelino Matuzalem, 10-6-1980, midfielder, Brazil, 93 appearances, 4 goals (2008-12)

• Rino Marchesi, 11-6-1937, midfielder, Italy, 151 appearances, 4 goals (1966-71)

• Armando Longhi, 12-6-1917, forward, Italy, 23 appearances, 9 goals (1941-44)

• Marcos Antonio, 13-6-2000, midfielder, Brazil, 21 appearances, 1 goal (2022-23)

• Dionisio Arce, 14-6-1927, forward, Paraguay, 29 appearances, 8 goals (1949-51)

• Jovane Cabral, 14-6-1998, forward, Cape Verde, 4 appearances, 1 goal (2022)

• Uber Gradella, 14-6-1921, goalkeeper, Italy, 161 appearances (1940-49)

• Andrea Icardi, 14-6-1963, midfielder, Italy, 63 appearances (1988-90)

• Massimo Oddo, 14-6-1976, defender, Italy, 172 appearances, 17 goals (2002-07)

• Roberto Bacci, 15-6-1967, defender/midfielder, Italy, 143 appearances, 2 goals (1990-95)

• Oscar Damiani, 15-6-1950, forward, Italy, 14 appearances (1985-86)

• Michael Laudrup, 15-6-1964, forward, Denmark, 70 appearances, 12 goals (1983-85)

• Rosario Di Vicenzo, 16-6-1941, goalkeeper, Italy, 102 appearances (1967-72)

• Luigi Martini, 15-6-1949, defender/midfielder, Italy, 257 appearances, 10 goals (1971-79)

• Fernando Muslera, 16-6-1986, goalkeeper, Uruguay, 113 appearances (2007-11)