August 26, 1979: Brescia Lazio 0-2, Coppa Italia
- Simon Basten
- 1 hour ago
- 12 min read
Manfredonia Sparks Late Lazio Surge Past Brescia
A moment of inspiration from Manfredonia transformed a frustrating evening into a convincing 2-0 victory as Lazio overcame Brescia to remain top of their Coppa Italia group
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had missed out on a UEFA Cup qualification by just three points. The club did not have much money and could only afford minor signings. In came Filippo Citterio from Palermo, Vincenzo Zucchini from Pescara and Enrico Todesco from Como plus the return of Mauro Manzoni, who was on loan to Cerretese, and Maurizio Montesi, who had been sent to Avellino for a year.
Lazio said goodbye to scudetto hero Luigi Martini, who left to play in the NASL, Ciccio Cordova (Avellino), Paolo Ammoniaci (Palermo) and Aldo Cantarutti (Pisa). Roberto Badiani, Andrea Agostinelli and Pietro Ghedin were loaned out.
Today was the second official match of the season. Lazio had to play the group phase of the Coppa Italia and were paired with Matera, Brescia, Pistoiese and Udinese. In their first game they had taken Matera to the cleaners by winning 5-0.
The match: Sunday, August 26, 1979, Stadio Mario Rigamonti, Brescia
The final score suggested a comfortable success for Bob Lovati's side, but for more than an hour the Biancocelesti struggled to impose themselves against a well-organised Brescia team. Only after Lionello Manfredonia broke the deadlock with a superbly taken goal did Lazio finally discover the confidence and fluency that had been missing for much of the contest.
By the final whistle, the visitors had fully deserved their victory.
The opening half belonged largely to Brescia.
Gigi Simoni's side approached the match with intelligence and discipline, refusing to leave spaces for Renzo Garlaschelli and Bruno Giordano to exploit. Rather than attacking recklessly, the home side were content to remain compact, repeatedly launching high balls into the Lazio penalty area whenever opportunities arose.
Those deliveries frequently caused concern.
With Lazio's midfield struggling to gain control, Brescia enjoyed long spells in which they dictated the tempo. Too many Biancocelesti disappeared from the contest, leaving the defence exposed to wave after wave of pressure.
The visitors, meanwhile, looked strangely hesitant.
Instead of driving the game forward, they remained trapped between caution and ambition. The attacking players rarely received the quick service they required, while the midfield lacked both rhythm and authority.
Fernando Viola and Garlaschelli attempted to combine whenever Maurizio Montesi or Filippo Citterio managed to release them, but support from the rest of the midfield was inconsistent.
Toto López, expected to dictate play, endured a particularly quiet evening. As the match wore on, his influence steadily diminished until he became little more than a spectator in the centre of the pitch.
Fortunately for Lazio, Brescia were unable to translate their territorial superiority into clear-cut chances.
Bob Lovati's men therefore reached half-time with the score still level, a result they were probably happy to accept after such an uncertain opening forty-five minutes.
The second half initially followed the same pattern.
Brescia continued to frustrate Lazio, whose attacking moves repeatedly broke down before reaching the penalty area. It appeared increasingly likely that the contest would be decided by a single moment.
That moment arrived in the 71st minute.
When Garlaschelli won a free-kick after being fouled by Gianni De Biasi, Giordano prepared to deliver the ball into the penalty area. Before the kick was taken, however, Manfredonia began an adventurous run from midfield, repeatedly calling for the pass as he surged forward.
Giordano spotted him.
Receiving the ball inside the penalty area, Manfredonia controlled it expertly before shifting it onto his favoured left foot. Without hesitation, he drove a precise diagonal shot beyond the helpless Brescia goalkeeper and into the far corner. It was a goal of remarkable quality.
Brescia were visibly shaken. Lazio, by contrast, suddenly rediscovered the confidence that had been absent throughout the evening. Their passing became quicker, their movement sharper and their attacking play considerably more dangerous.
Seven minutes later, the victory was secured.
Viola produced an excellent defence-splitting pass into the path of Garlaschelli. As the striker prepared to receive the ball, Giordano cleverly allowed it to run through his legs with an intelligent dummy that completely deceived the Brescia defence.
Garlaschelli needed no second invitation.
Meeting the pass first time with his right foot, he struck a low volley that clipped the inside of the post before bouncing into the net.
The finish was as elegant as the move that created it.
At 2-0, the contest was effectively over.
Having spent much of the evening looking uncertain, Lazio finished the match in complete control, dominating possession and preventing Brescia from mounting any meaningful response.
The victory ensured Lazio remained level on points with Udinese at the top of the Coppa Italia group, although the Biancocelesti now possessed the superior goal difference.
Qualification, however, was not yet guaranteed.
To maintain their hopes of progressing to the next round, Bob Lovati's side would still need to defeat Pistoiese in their next group match.
Who played for Brescia
Malgioglio; De Biasi, Galparoli, Guida, Bonetti (30’ Salvi), Bagni; Salvioni, Maselli, Muttì, Venturi (76’ Zigoni), Penzo
Substitutes: Bertoni, Mendoza, Bonometti
Manager: Simoni
Who played for Lazio
Cacciatori; Pighin (60’ Tassotti), Citterio; Wilson, Manfredonia, Zucchini; Garlaschelli, Montesi, Giordano, Lopez, Viola
Manager: Lovati
Referee: Menicucci
Goals: 71’ Manfredonia, 78’ Garlaschelli
What happened next
Lazio went on to win their group, winning away at Pistoia and drawing at home with Udinese.
In the end however this was going to be one of the worst seasons in Lazio history. The start was the tragedy of Vincenzo Paparelli.
On October 28 Rome was ready for the first derby of the season. An hour before the match, Vincenzo Paparelli was sitting in Curva Nord having a sandwich. From the Curva Sud Giovanni Fiorillo fired two flares towards the Lazio Curva. They zig zagged over the top. For the third attempt, the Roma supporter lowered his aim. The flare hit Vincenzo Paparelli in the eye and killed him. He was 33 years of age and had two children.
What happened then was complete chaos. The Lazio fans did not want the game to go ahead but the police decided that it was best to play for security reasons. In a climate of warfare with few Lazio supporters left in the stands, the game was played. Every time the ball went into the stands with Lazio supporters, the fans refused to give the ball back. Captain Wilson and Giordano were forced to go under the Curva Nord in an attempt to calm down the Laziali. The game was a farce and finished 1-1. In the last minutes there was a clear penalty for Lazio but the ref decided that there was no way he was going to make matters worse. A game and day nobody will forget.
At the start of game 10 the Biancocelesti were in fourth place and only 4 points behind leaders Inter. But in the next 15 matches Lazio won only once and in March, after the defeat at Pescara, were fourth from bottom, just three points above Catanzaro. They had also lost the Coppa Italia quarter final against Torino after a penalty shoot-out.
Then, an already bad and tragic season got even worse. At Pescara Wilson, Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia and Cacciatori were arrested for match fixing.
Rumours that there was something wrong in Serie A had begun to circulate earlier in the year. At Cagliari Montesi broke his leg and from the hospital spoke to the few journalists who went to see how he was. He was alone, none of the Lazio players had had the decency to drop by. He started talking of match fixing, agreements between clubs over results, and illegal betting.
In Italy one could not legally bet on the result of a single game or on the scores of a series of games. There was just the Totocalcio where one had to guess the result of 13 games. There was however an illegal betting system called Totonero run by illegal bookmakers similar to how legal bets were organised in the UK.
Match fixing had always been a problem in Italy and taken place since the early 1950s. Clubs and/or players would agree to share points during the season in a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” system. But then the players started to bet on these games. It was easy money; they knew what the result would be so why not have a little wager.
Alvaro Trinca was the owner of a restaurant in the centre of Rome where Lazio and Roma players would often go and eat before games. Massimo Cruciani was a fruit seller and was very friendly with a number of players. Both would hear the players talk of match fixing and therefore started to bet and win large sums of money. They teamed up and devised a plan which was to offer money to the players to fix games as well as bet money for them.
Their plan failed miserably and they were hugely indebted with people with whom you do not want to be indebted to. Apparently, they first asked the clubs for money but not all wanted to pay, then they presented their case to the Italian Football Federation but that was not going to solve the debts, so they then tried by resting their case with the law. They were later both arrested and started talking to the magistrates.
On March 23 1980, the Italian police arrested a number of players of Lazio, Milan, Bologna, Avellino, Genoa and Perugia. The scandal had exploded and Lazio were right in the middle of it.
But in all of this there was a very important game to be played: Lazio vs Catanzaro. If Lazio had lost, the Biancocelesti would have almost certainly gone down to Serie B especially because without Giordano, Manfredonia, Wilson and Cacciatori the chances of survival would have been very very slim. Vincenzo D’Amico took the team by the hand and literally single handedly guided Lazio to victory.
After this win Lazio needed just a couple of points to secure their permanence in Serie A and with the draw against Napoli with two games to go, Lazio were mathematically safe.
Once the season finished there was the Sport Justice court case regarding the match fixing. The Lazio players were allegedly involved in the match fixing of Milan Lazio that ended 2-1 for the hosts and Lazio Avellino which finished 1-1.
The first sentencing between May and June gave Cacciatori and Wilson a life ban, Giordano and Manfredonia an 18-month suspension, Maurizio Montesi four months and Lazio were fined 10 million lire. At the time fans thought that all in all this was acceptable.
Others had even worse sentences. Milan were relegated (there was a direct involvement of the club President), Avellino, Bologna and Perugia given a 5 point penalty. Among the various players, Enrico Albertosi got a life ban and Paolo Rossi 3 years.
The Lazio fans looked at the appeal case with optimism. They were wrong. Lazio were relegated to Serie B for the game against Avellino, Giordano and Manfredonia got a three-and-a-half-year suspension, Cacciatori 4 years and Wilson three years. Paolo Rossi’s suspension was reduced to two years, Albertosi’s to four.
Why were Lazio relegated? There was no legal reason since none of the club directors were involved. The only motive was the fact that first sentences were considered too lenient and the Sports Justice system wanted to set an example. Hence, Lazio, always everybody’s favourite scapegoat, were relegated because they had a large number of players involved. But others were involved far deeper and got off lightly or with no penalisation at all. Lazio were a sacrificial lamb to keep the media happy.
Were the players guilty? Who knows? Wilson hardly ever spoke about it. In his official biography though, he admitted having reached an agreement with some Milan players regarding Milan-Lazio. The plan was to let them win in Milan and Lazio in Rome. The Biancocelesti did not have much of a chance in Milan and the points at the end of the season could have been useful in case of a battle to stay in Serie A. He had nothing to do with betting, as also shown in the case files and his name appeared only for the Milan match. But Montesi accused him of being the ring leader. He always denied this and in a book on Montesi’s life, the author wrote that since he needed to give a name to the football authorities, he chose Wilson’s since the captain was close to retirement.
These types of agreements had always happened in Italian football, this was no different from other similar agreements like in the last matches of the season when one team needed a point to stay in Serie A and the other maybe a point for a UEFA Cup qualification. The games would practically be non- starters. This is a violation of every Sports Code, and if the agreement is reached among clubs, if found guilty, these should be relegated or given point deductions. And if it is between players, these, if found guilty, should be suspended. If the players take money all that has to be done is to verify and check.
Manfredonia stated in an interview that he paid a rather large price compared to what he actually did. So maybe when Wilson announced that they were going to lose the Milan game, he complied. He did not play the match against Avellino, so he can’t have been guilty for that.
Giordano proclaims his innocence to this day. In his official biography he claims that Trinca and Cruciani tried to blackmail President Umberto Lenzini who refused to pay. When the magistrates asked him if he had got some extra cash Giordano denied it, saying “check my bank statements”. This is probably what they did and as a consequence none of the players were found guilty in the legal court case.
Where does the truth lie? A few facts are almost certain. Milan- Lazio was fixed by the players. The club had nothing to do with it. The rest is just speculation. Lazio, some Lazio players and Lazio fans paid a very high price for the Italian Football Federation's need to find guilty parties, whether they were actually guilty or not. And unfortunately, it would not be the only time. Claudio Vinazzani’s friendship with a Neapolitan illegal bookie, who was fixing games, translated into a 9-point deduction for the 1986-87 season, despite Lazio not being involved. President Claudio Lotito’s requests for decent referees would cost Lazio a 30-point deduction in the 2005-06 season and 3 for the following one in the Calciopoli farce. Stefano Mauri’s friendship with a player who fixed games cost him a six-month suspension and jail time, even if he was innocent.
Lazio had invested a lot for the 1980-81 season and even signed Rene Van de Kerkhof, the Dutch star, but he could not play in Serie B so the deal did not go through.
It would take Lazio three seasons to get back to Serie A.
Lazio Jersey 1979-80
Image Sources: Football Kit Archive (first) and Lazio Wiki
The 1979-80 campaign represented a turning point in the history of Lazio's football shirts.
After years of association with Ennerre, the company whose kits had accompanied the club through its greatest triumphs—including the 1974 Scudetto—Lazio entered a new era with the arrival of Pouchain as technical supplier. Yet, as was often the case in Italian football during the period, the transition was far from seamless.
For much of the summer, Ennerre continued to outfit the Biancocelesti during pre-season training and the opening phase of the Coppa Italia. The famous Neapolitan manufacturer even supplied the shirts for Lazio's opening Serie A match away to Avellino and, most poignantly, for the Derby della Capitale of 28 October 1979, the match forever remembered for the tragic death of Lazio supporter Vincenzo Paparelli. Ennerre also remained the supplier for the Primavera team during the Viareggio Tournament.
Once the agreement with Pouchain was finalised, however, Lazio unveiled one of the most modern kits the club had ever worn.
The home shirt retained the traditional celeste colour, although the shade was slightly deeper than in previous seasons. A large white fold-over collar dominated the design, giving the jersey a clean and elegant appearance that reflected the fashion of the late 1970s.
The long-sleeved version was particularly innovative.
Unlike the wool shirts that had characterised much of the decade, Pouchain produced the jersey using a highly elastic ribbed synthetic fabric made from 100% acrylic. It represented a significant technological step forward, offering greater flexibility and comfort while maintaining the classic Lazio aesthetic. White cuffs, finished with a thin celeste stripe, completed the design and gave the shirt a refined appearance.
The short-sleeved shirts appeared in two slightly different versions.
Both featured the same overall design, but one had entirely white sleeve cuffs, while the other incorporated a white-and-celeste trim. These subtle variations have since become important details for collectors attempting to identify match-worn shirts from the season.
The 1979-80 campaign also introduced another first in Lazio's kit history.
For the first time, the club experimented with two different types of match numbering. Alongside the traditional stitched plastic-style numerals that had been used throughout the 1970s, Lazio also debuted glossy painted numbers, marking the first appearance of this style on a Biancoceleste shirt. Depending on the match, either version could be seen on the players' backs.
Pouchain also introduced a completely new visual identity.
Its embroidered "P" logo—often described as resembling a small fish—appeared directly on the chest, while a newly designed Lazio crest was printed in blue onto a leatherette patch before being sewn onto the shirt.
Although this badge was only used briefly on the playing kit, it reflected the club's desire to modernise its image. The stylised eagle and contemporary lowercase "ss lazio" lettering would also appear on tracksuits, pennants and official merchandise over the following seasons.
The away kit maintained a more familiar appearance.
Lazio continued to use a white change shirt, while a striking red third kit completed the collection available to Bob Lovati's squad throughout the campaign.
For supporters, 1979/80 was equally significant because it marked the birth of Lazio's first true commercial replica shirt.
Unlike the match-worn jerseys, the retail version omitted the traditional fold-over collar and instead featured a simpler crew-neck design. The Pouchain logo and Lazio crest were printed directly onto the fabric rather than embroidered or stitched, making production cheaper while allowing supporters to purchase a shirt closely resembling that worn by Bruno Giordano and his teammates. It was an important milestone in the commercial development of football merchandise in Italy.
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