There is still hope
A late Governato goal gives Lazio a glimmer of hope in avoiding relegation
Also on this day: April 4, 1976, Lazio Verona 1-1. The Biancocelesti get a much-needed point but the situation is getting grimmer. Player of the day: Sergio Borgo
The season so far
The 1970-71 season had not started well. Deep contrasts between the manager, Juan Carlos Lorenzo and the President, Umberto Lenzini, over the summer transfer window would have deep consequences on the team's performance.
Following a decent 8th place in the 1969-70 season, Lenzini was looking for an improvement and had set eyes on the future Turin goalkeeper Luciano Castellini, but Lorenzo did not agree, preferring Michelangelo Sulfaro. Lorenzo was also unimpressed with Lenzini signing Pierpaolo Manservisi.
Giorgio Chinaglia did not help the situation by saying that if he was the problem, he would have no issue leaving, perhaps hoping for a transfer during the November window. He did stay obviously.
The feud between the manager and president did not relent for the entire season. Lorenzo was sacked a few times, only to come back following protests by a particularly passionate group of fans loyal to the manager.
After the first half of the season Lazio were last with only nine points. They had won just one game (vs Sampdoria) and had drawn a controversial derby. In the next eight games however Lazio managed to win another couple of times and draw three times (including the return derby). Things were still pretty grim, but a win against Foggia could still give fans hope.
The match: Sunday, April 4, 1971, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
This game was a must win for Lazio, but the match started terribly for the Biancocelesti. In the 8th minute there was a corner for Foggia. Albertino Bigon, all alone in the middle of the box, had the time to stop the ball with his chest and beat Rosario Di Vincenzo.
A terrible blow to Lazio, but Nello Governato took the team by the hand and Lazio started playing. The Lazio midfielder first made the Foggia goalkeeper work very hard to save a shot from outside the box and then set up a great assist for Chinaglia who arrived just a fraction late. In the 27th minute, the Biancoclesti equalised. Free kick to Lazio, Ferruccio Mazzola passed the ball to Giuliano Fortunato who with a powerful shot made it 1-1.
Lazio had to win and towards the end of the first half a Fortunato shot was just wide and then Raffaele Trentini was almost miraculous on a Chinaglia chance.
Nothing changed in the second half, Lazio put an enormous pressure on the Foggia defence and had chances with Giuseppe Massa, Arrigo Dolso and Chinaglia. Governato was clearly fouled in the penalty box but not according to the referee.
In the 84th minute Giuseppe Papadopulo crossed into the box, Giuseppe Wilson’s header hit the woodwork, ball to Massa, his shot hit the post again. Foggia went for the counter attack but was stopped by Rino Marchesi.
In the dying seconds, Gaetano Legnaro passed the ball to Fortunato on the right wing. Cross into the box and Governato headed the ball in.
Lazio won 2-1 at the last possible moment. A number of fans were taken to hospital. The medical bulletin at the end of the day will read three circulatory shocks and two heart attacks. It’s a tough job being a Lazio fan!!!
Who played for Lazio
Di Vincenzo, Legnaro, Wilson, Governato, Papadopulo, Marchesi, Massa, Mazzola, Chinaglia, Tomy (55’ Dolso), Fortunato
Substitute: Moriggi
Manager: Lorenzo
Who played for Foggia
Trentini, Montepagani, Colla, Pirazzini, Lenzi, Montefusco, Saltutti, Villa, Bigon (70' Mola), Maioli, Re Cecconi.
Substitute: Crespan.
Manager: Maestrelli.
Referee: Carminati
Goals: 8' Bigon, 37' Fortunato, 90 Governato
What happened next
After the game against Foggia, Lazio won again away from home against Sampdoria but were unable to beat Fiorentina at home. The fantastic draw against Juventus with three matches to go meant that Lazio continued to be behind but were only one point off Varese, Sampdoria and Verona with Vicenza two points away.
At Varese Lazio were down 2-1 when the referee, Sergio Gonella who would later referee the World Cup final between Argentina and Holland in 1978, first gave Lazio a penalty, but then changed his mind and gave a free kick to Lazio for a previous foul. The Biancocelesti lost and all hope was on a win in the penultimate match against Vicenza at home. Lazio lost that game too and were relegated.
A shock relegation, but in the end it was a blessing. Lenzini was finally able to kick Lorenzo out and call in Tommaso Maestrelli. The rest is in the history books.
One positive thing did happen this season. In June Lazio won the Coppa delle Alpi (Cup of the Alps). This was a tournament that was jointly organised by the Italian and Swiss football federations and ran from 1960 to 1987. Italian and Swiss teams only played until 1966, but from 1967 until 1969 they were joined also by West German clubs (and in 1969 also by a Belgian team). Back to the original formula in 1970, from 1972 to 1987 only French and Swiss teams played.
Lazio dominated their group stage and met Basel in the final. A Chinaglia double and another goal by Pierpaolo Manservisi brought the trophy to Rome.
Lazio 1970-71
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 30 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 43 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Fairs Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 35 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 48 |
Top Five Appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Fairs Cup |
Chinaglia | 35 | 30 | 3 | 2 |
Massa | 34 | 29 | 3 | 2 |
Wilson | 34 | 29 | 3 | 2 |
Dolso | 30 | 27 | 2 | 1 |
Governato | 29 | 24 | 3 | 2 |
Top Five Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Fairs Cup |
Chinaglia | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 |
Massa | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Dolso | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Mazzola II | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Facco | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Let’s talk about Alberto Bigon
Playing for Foggia today was a young Alberto “Albertino” Bigon who would go on to play for Lazio in the early 1980’s. He started out as a centre forward but later moved to midfield. He was one of Italy’s best attacking midfielders of the 1970s.
Bigon was born in Padova on October 31st 1947. He started his career in the youth teams of his home town and won the Primavera championship in the 1965-66 season. He played three seasons with Padova in Serie B before signing for Napoli in 1967. He did not last long in Campania and in November moved to Spal and debuted in Serie A.
In 1969 he signed for Foggia and under future Lazio manager Tommaso Maestrelli won promotion to Serie A in his first year. In his second, after a good first half of the season, Foggia collapsed and were relegated. But he had attracted the attention of AC Milan and signed for the rossoneri in 1971. He became one of their most important players and stayed for nine years. With Milan he won a scudetto in 1978-79, three Coppa Italias (1971-72, 1972-73, 1976-77) and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1973. He played 329 games for Milan in all competitions with 90 goals.
He came to Lazio in 1980. President Umberto Lenzini had sold Bruno Giordano to Milan in exchange for Bigon and Stefano Chiodi. Milan had been relegated to Serie B in the first match fixing scandal and Giordano had also been involved (18 month suspension), but Bigon and Chiodi were already in Rome when this happened, so the clubs had a problem. As a consequence Mauro Tassotti was sent to Milan as compensation and the two players stayed on. While they were in pre-season training, Lazio were also relegated, so Bigon found himself in Serie B. Despite the shock he stayed.
He played two seasons for Lazio in Serie B and was a fan favourite. He was one of the protagonists of the 1980-81 season. At two games from the end Lazio, Genoa and Cesena were all second on 44 points. Genoa and Cesena won away, Lazio were struggling against Vicenza. In the 90th minute, the Biancocelesti were awarded a penalty. Chiodi, who had never missed a spot kick in his entire career, kicked the ball out. Lazio stayed in Serie B and the next season struggled all year and only just avoided relegation in Serie C.
Bigon was then sold to Vicenza and played his last two years of football in Serie C.
With Lazio he played 68 times (57 in Serie B, 8 in Coppa Italia) and scored 13 goals (12 in Serie B and one in Coppa Italia).
After he quit football he became a manager and coached Reggina for a year in Serie C1 in 1986 and then two years at Cesena. In 1989 he coached Diego Maradona’s Napoli and won a scudetto and a Super Coppa. After his experience in Naples he was manager of Lecce in Serie B, where he was able to avoid relegation, Udinese in Serie A, again avoiding relegation in a play-off against Brescia, and briefly for Ascoli. In the 1996-97 season he was head coach for Sion in Switzerland and won the double (Championship and Cup). He later returned to Italy to manage Perugia but was fired after 8 games. In 1999 he was in charge of Olympiakos Piraeus but was sacked during the season despite the fact the team was first in the league. He returned to Sion in 2007. His last experience was managing NK IB 1975 Ljubljana but was fired after 5 games. At this point he called it a day and retired.
Despite having only stayed at Lazio briefly he was very fond of the Biancocelesti and Maestrelli, as mentioned in many interviews. “Maestrelli was my manager at Foggia and our families were very close, our children grew up together. He was almost like a father to me”, he said in an interview in 2013. “Despite Chiodi’s missed penalty, I remember it as one of the happiest periods of my life and the fans were just incredible”.
Bigon was a great, classy player and it was a privilege to have seen him play. It was just a pity he arrived at Lazio in their darkest hour.
Lazio career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1980-81 | 37 (10) | 32 (9) | 5 (1) |
1981-82 | 28 (3) | 25 (3) | 3 |
Total | 65 (13) | 57 (12) | 8 (1) |
Sources