Lazio give Cagliari the scudetto
Lazio do Cagliari a great favour and by beating Juventus hand them the scudetto.
Also on this day: April 12, 2015, Lazio Empoli 4-0. With three goals in the first half and one in the second, the Biancocelesti demolish Empoli and climb to second place. Player of the day: Matias Vecino
The season so far
Lazio had just come back to Serie A after a couple of years in Serie B, and were hoping to stay up without suffering too much.
In the summer transfer window of 1969, two players were signed from Serie C team Internapoli that under the guidance of future Lazio 1970s manager Luis Vinicio had almost been promoted into Serie B: Giuseppe Wilson and Giorgio Chinaglia. The two will go on to make Lazio history.
After a poor Coppa Italia campaign in September, Lazio had not done too badly. Despite losing the derby 2-1, they had beaten Milan and Fiorentina (5-1!!!) and one could have been reasonably satisfied. But any ambition was foiled after they lost four games in the row towards the end of 1969. The beginning of the second half of the season did not go very well and at the beginning of March they were only two points above the relegation zone. But in the four games prior to this match they won two (including beating Inter 3-1) and drew two, hence mathematically guaranteeing another year in Serie A.
Juventus were second, three points behind Cagliari and there were three games to the end of the season (just two points for a win). The Bianconeri needed to win to keep their scudetto hopes alive.
The match: Sunday April 12, 1970, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The two teams battled from the word go. First a shot from outside the box by Ferruccio Mazzola was saved into corner by Roberto Tancredi and then Erminio Favalli on right had a chance but his shot was well saved by Rosario Di Vincenzo. Juventus produced their maximum effort in the beginning of the game, but after a wide shot by Gianfranco Leoncini, Lazio got themselves better organised and started to become more dangerous.
In the first half a wonderful cross by Giuliano Fortunato was met by Gian Piero Ghio in a perfect position to head the ball in, but his attempt was pretty poor. After a shot from outside the box by Nello Governato just wide, in the 31st minute Chinaglia had a chance on a Tancredi blunder but he could not control the ball. In the 42nd minute another Mazzola shot caressed the crossbar. Two minutes later Chinaglia had another chance but his header went just wide. Juventus closed the first half with a powerful wide shot by Antonello Cuccureddu.
The second half opened with a colossal chance for Juventus. Lamberto Leonardi dribbled a few Lazio players and entered the penalty box in a central position with just Di Vincenzo to beat. His shot went wide.
In the 52nd minute Lazio scored. Rino Marchesi to Fortunato on the left. The Lazio winger dribbled past Cuccureddu and sent in another perfect cross for Ghio. This time the Lazio forward made no mistake and headed the ball in.
Another match changer in the 60th minute. Favalli was sent off after having punched Giuseppe Massa.
In the 74th minute Massa crossed in the box from the right. Chinaglia controlled the ball with his chest, back to the goal and tried to turn around. Francesco Morini brought him down and for the ref it was a penalty. Chinaglia made it 2-0. Game over and Scudetto to Cagliari.
Who played for Lazio
Di Vincenzo, Papadopulo, Wilson, Governato, Polentes, Marchesi, Massa, Mazzola (76’ Morrone), Chinaglia, Ghio, Fortunato.
Substitute: Fiorucci
Manager: Lorenzo
Who played for Juventus
Tancredi, Salvadore, Leoncini, Roveta, Morini, Cuccureddu, Leonardi, Vieri, Anastasi, Furino, Favalli.
Substitutes: Anzolin, Zigoni.
Manager: Rabitti.
Referee: Picasso
Goals: 52’ Ghio, 74’ Chinaglia (pen)
What happened next
In the last two games of the season Lazio consolidated their position and finished eighth. A good season, nothing much was expected and it was hoped that the Biancocelesti would not have to suffer too much to stay in Serie A and this is exactly what happened. Lazio beat Milan, Juventus, Inter and Fiorentina who occupied 4 of the top 5 spots in the final Serie A table. This gave the club and fans hope for a good 1970-71 season.
Rino Marchesi topped the appearances (he played every single match) and Chinaglia was top scorer with 12 goals.
Lazio 1969-70
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 33 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | - | 1 | 2 | - |
Mitropa Cup | 2 | - | - | 2 | 2 |
Total | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 35 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Mitropa Cup |
Marchesi | 35 | 30 | 3 | 2 |
Massa | 32 | 27 | 3 | 2 |
Chinaglia | 31 | 28 | 1 | 2 |
Wilson | 31 | 28 | 1 | 2 |
Ghio | 29 | 25 | 2 | 2 |
Top goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Mitropa Cup |
Chinaglia | 14 | 12 | 2 |
Massa | 5 | 5 | - |
Ghio | 5 | 5 | - |
Mazzola | 3 | 3 | - |
Let’s talk about Juan Carlos Lorenzo
Juan Carlos Lorenzo was one of the weirdest people ever to land on the Lazio planet. An excellent manager in the early part of his career, he lost himself towards the end and finished being ridiculed for his habits, obsessions and superstition.
Lorenzo was born in Buenos Aires on October 22, 1922. He started playing professional football in 1943 for Chacarita Juniors as an attacking left wing midfielder. In 1945 he signed for Boca Juniors and stayed three years before, like many of his compatriots, trying his luck in Italy.
He played for Sampdoria from 1948 to 1952 and then immigrated to France to play for Nancy. While he was there he started studying to become a manager. His last years of professional football were played in Spain with Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Real Maiorca.
In his first job as manager he took Real Maiorca from the third tier to the first in just three years. He then went back to Argentina where he was head coach of San Lorenzo and then the Argentina national team. He managed the Seleccion in the 1962 World Cup but they were knocked out in the group stage by England on goal average.
At this point he joined Lazio. In 1962 the Biancocelesti were in Serie B and had sacked Carlo Facchini after just four games. Lorenzo took his place and guided Lazio to promotion. The season after Lazio reached a comfortable 8th place and Lorenzo was offered a contract renewal despite the club not having much money. The Argentinian manager had agreed and given his word, but in a typical coup de theatre instead signed for Roma who offered him a large advance. He stayed just one year with the giallorossi and won a Coppa Italia.
In 1966 he was back as head coach of Argentina for the 1966 World Cup. This time the Seleccion reached the quarterfinals but were beaten again by England.
After managing River Plate and Real Maiorca, in 1968 he returned to Lazio. The Biancocelesti were again in Serie B and again Lorenzo guided them to promotion. Just like his previous stint, the first year back in Serie A saw Lazio reach 8th place. But, more importantly, he got President Umberto Lenzini to sign Giorgio Chinaglia and Giuseppe Wilson.
The 1970-71 season was a disaster. Lorenzo and Lenzini had deep contrasts in the summer transfer window and this feud lasted the entire season, having a very negative effect on the team. Lazio were never capable of leaving the bottom part of the table and finished second from last with only four wins in 30 matches.
After being sacked by Lazio, he managed a number of teams and was quite successful. He won two Copa Libertadores with Boca Juniors in 1977 and 1978 as well as an Intercontinental Cup in 1977, four Argentine Championships (Nacional and Metropolitano in 1972 with San Lorenzo, Nacional and Metropolitano in 1976 with Boca Juniors), and led Atletico Madrid to the European Cup final in 1974 lost to Bayern Munich.
After ending his experience with Boca, he managed other Argentine teams (Argentinos Juniors, San Lorenzo, Atlanta and Velez Sarsfield) and also had experiences in Mexico with Atlante and in Colombia with Santa Fe.
In the 1983-84 season Lazio avoided relegation to Serie B with a draw at Pisa in the last match. President Giorgio Chinaglia promised that Lazio fans would never have to suffer that much again. During the course of the season manager Giancarlo Morrone had been substituted by Paolo Carosi who had coached Bruno Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia in the Primavera team that won the championship in 1975-76.
The beginning of the 1984-85 season had not been good. Knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Roma, Lazio had lost at home against Fiorentina 1-0 and away at Udinese 5-0. Chinaglia had the brilliant idea of sacking Carosi and asking Lorenzo if he would come back to coach Lazio and he accepted.
Lorenzo was past his prime as far as managerial style was concerned. The beginning was comforting, a draw against Diego Maradona’s Napoli and Roma, a couple of wins, maybe Chinaglia was right. But then Lazio lost 7 consecutive games before drawing at home against Ascoli and losing 4-0 in Naples. Lazio had just 10 points and were second from last. Chinaglia sacked Lorenzo after Naples but it was too late. Lazio were relegated despite having a squad with Michael Laudrup, Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Joao Batista and Vincenzo D’Amico.
Lorenzo’s third stint with Lazio was almost farcical. Daniele Filisetti was forced to lose 5 kilos in a week because Lorenzo wanted him to be the same weight as Trevor Francis who he had to mark in the next game. Filisetti fainted after the end of the first half. He was very superstitious to the point of insanity. He got the players to train running after chickens. Once he told Giordano that when there was a free kick, he was supposed to go to the men in the wall and insult them. The plan was to get them agitated so that the wall would open and increase the chances of scoring. He also ordered Giordano to never shoot from outside the box again. Former Lazio defender Arcadio Spinozzi even wrote a book listing all Lorenzo’s exploits.
After leaving Lazio he coached another two years. He returned to first San Lorenzo and then again Boca Juniors in 1987.
He died in Buenos Aires on November 14, 2001.
How is Lorenzo remembered? Some old timers probably have good memories, some will remember him only for his mad superstition and maybe have a laugh.
I remember him with horror.
Sources
Arcadio Spinozzi & Stefano Greco. Una vita da Lazio. Ultra Sport 2012
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