August 31, 1977: Lazio -Ternana 4-1, Coppa Italia
- Dag Jenkins
- Aug 31, 2025
- 9 min read
Giordano and D'Amico make the difference
Not a vintage performance but Lazio's star players' quality give them flicker of cup hope
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season had been a positive one for Lazio. Under Luís Vinicio and helped by rising youth sector stars, Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia and Andrea Agostinelli, the Biancocelesti had arrived 5th in Serie A and qualified for the UEFA Cup. The highlights were defeating Roma 1-0, Fiorentina 4-1, Inter 2-1, Bologna and Cesena 3-0, Genoa 4-1 all at home and Fiorentina 1-0 away. Top scorer was Giordano with 13 goals (10 in A).
It had also been a sad year with the deaths of two Scudetto heroes: manager Tommaso Maestrelli, on the 2nd of December 1976 and midfielder Luciano Re Cecconi on the 18th of January 1977, in a possible prank gone wrong but more likely just a tragic misunderstanding (Lazio's "Angelo Biondo" was shot to death in a jewellery shop).
This year Lazio had a pretty much unchanged squad. In had come midfielder Luigi Boccolini (Catanzaro) and forward Sergio Clerici (Bologna) while leaving were midfielders Maurizio Montesi (Avellino - loan) and Fernando Viola (Bologna - loan). The main novelty in the team was in goal where Claudio Garella would soon be preferred to Scudetto hero Felice Pulici, who then left for Monza in November (he would be back). Another Scudetto winner Luigi Polentes would also leave in the autumn for Modena.
Today was Lazio's fourth Coppa Italia game and they had won one (Monza 2-1 at home) and lost 2 (Varese 1-2 and Bologna 0-1 both away) and were almost out. The table read Varese 3, Bologna 2 Ternana 2, Lazio 2, Monza 2 Only one team would progress but Lazio only had one more game while the others had two.
Serie A would start on September 11 and Lazio were to play Genoa away.
Ternana had finished 14th in Serie B the previous season. They had three managers; Edmondo Fabbri (1-11), Cesare Maldini (12-24) and Omero Andreani (25-38). Top scorer was Franco Pezzato with 7 league goals. One of their players was Lazio Scudetto hero, Paolo Franzoni.
This season the manager was former Lazio player Rino Marchesi (1966-71). The main new players were: goalkeeper Poerio Mascella (Varese), defenders Maurizio Codogno (Pro Vercelli), Silvano Gelli (SPAL), Gabriele Ratti (Lecco), Piero Volpi (Lecco), midfielders Luciano Aristei (Brescia), Carmelo La Torre (Asti), Carmelo Bagnato (Fiorentina) plus forwards Roberto Ciccotelli (Perugia), Gianni De Rosa (Lecco via Massese), Maurizio Marchei (Sambenedettese), Dino Pagliari (Fiorentina - on loan via SPAL) and Sileno Passalacqua (Reggiana). So a lot of novelties.
Leaving were: goalkeeper Graziano De Luca (Bari), defenders Danilo Ferrari (SPAL), Roman and former Lazio Giovanni Masiello (retiring), Denis Mendoza (Genoa), Gianfranco Platto (Lucchese), Angelino Rosa (Venezia), midfielders Sandro Crivelli (Reggiana), Luciano Miani (Pisa), Odilio Moro (Brescia), Giuseppe Valà (Sambenedettese) plus forwards Paolo Franzoni (Piacenza - on loan) and Franco Pezzato (SPAL) while Bruno Zanolla would leave in the autumn (Barletta).
So far in Coppa Italia the Rossoverdi had played two games and won 1 (Bologna 2-1 at home) and lost 1 (Monza 0-3 away on debut). The Fere had the same points as Lazio but had played a game less so by winning today could still go through.
Serie B would start on September 11, Cremonese at home.
Lazio were firm favourites tonight against second tier opposition. Nothing but a win would keep their slender cup hopes alive.
The match: Wednesday, August 31, 1977, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A hot late August evening saw about 25,000 turn up at the Olimpico.
Lazio were without injured full-back Gigi Martini but otherwise had everyone available.
Ternana were missing defender Maurizio Codogno and midfielder Luciano Aristei. They fielded eight new players compared to the previous season.
Lazio attacked in the early stages favoured by the visitors defensive approach. In the 6th minute Lazio took the lead. Bruno Giordano got his first of the evening from a Vincenzo D'Amico assist, 1-0.
The Umbri realised they could not just defend and became more adventurous. They showed they could be dangerous and even equalised in the 34th minute with a Roberto Casone free kick. Meanwhile Lazio had had more chances but the score was now 1-1.
Just before halftime the hosts went in front again. It was another free kick this time by D' Amico, the "golden boy" from Latina, 2-1 at the break.
For the second half the Rossoverdi replaced midfielder Franco Caccia with defender Fabrizio Broggio.
The next 45 minutes were of a lower quality by both sides. The difference was made by the class of Bruno Giordano.
In the 65th minute the Trasteverino striker got his brace, again teed up by D'Amico, 3-1.
Ternana tried changing attackers in the 68th minute, bringing on Gianni De Rosa for Sileno Passalacqua but it was Lazio who scored again when Bruno-gol got his hat-trick in the 88th minute, 4-1.
A heavy defeat for Ternana who probably had not deserved such an unflattering score line. They had played well in midfield but were too light up front.
Lazio had not been overly impressive but in D'Amico and Giordano they had two world class players. In midfield Ciccio Cordova had played well and often had to drop back in defence when full-backs Paolo Ammoniaci and Roberto Badiani pushed forward. Badiani in particular had shown his defensive weaknesses and could possibly be more useful further upfield.
The table now read; Lazio 4 (+2 GD) Varese 4 (+1), Monza 3 (+2), Bologna 3 (0), Ternana 2 (-3). The Biancocelesti still had little hope of progressing as they had to sit out the last game while there were Monza v Bologna and Ternana v Varese. Lazio had to hope Ternana beat Varese and Monza v Bologna ended in a draw.
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Ammoniaci, Badiani, Wilson, Manfredonia, Cordova, Giordano, Agostinelli, Clerici, D'Amico, Boccolini
Substitutes: Garella, Pighin, Ghedin, Lopez, Garlaschelli
Manager: Vinicio
Who played for Ternana
Mascella, La Torre, Ratti, Casone, Gelli, Volpi, Passalacqua (68' De Rosa), Bagnato, Pagliari, Caccia (46' Broggio), Biagini
Substitutes: Bianchi, Marchei, Cei
Manager: Marchesi
Referee: Panzino
Goals: 6' Giordano, 34' Casone, 44' D'Amico, 65' Giordano, 88' Giordano
What happened next
Lazio finished 10th in Serie A. The Biancocelesti were too inconsistent to get back into Europe. The Biancocelesti had some good wins, Juventus 3-0, Milan 2-0 and Inter 1-0 all at home, Fiorentina 1-0 away but generally struggled. Vinicio was replaced by Bob Lovati after 24 matches and Lazio avoided relegation worries by winning three out of the last five matches. Both derbies with Roma ended in draws. Top scorer was Bruno Giordano with 19 goals (12 in A).
In Europe in the UEFA Cup Lazio first thrashed Boavista 5-1 on aggregate but then crashed out to Lens in extra-time 0-6 (with 3 goals by Didier Six...) after winning in Rome 2-0. Lazio would get their revenge but not until 19 years later.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus for the 18th time. Serie B was calling for Foggia, Genoa and Pescara.
In Coppa Italia the Biancocelesti finished 2nd in the group. In the last game Monza defeated Bologna 3-2 and went into the second round (two groups of four).
The Coppa Italia would eventually be won by Inter who defeated Napoli 2-1 in Rome.
Ternana had a good season but just missed out on promotion by two points, finishing joint 4th. It was the closest they have ever been in the last 47 years to returning to the top flight. The Umbri won 14, drew 14 and lost 10. Top scorers were Pagliari and La Torre with 5 league goals each. The teams going up were Ascoli, Catanzaro and Avellino.
In Coppa Italia the Rossoverdi won their last match 1-0 against Varese and finished 4th in the group.
Let's talk about Bruno Giordano
Giordano was born in Rome on 13 August, 1956. He was born in the famous “Vicolo del Piede” in the historic district of Trastevere. He was known as “Il bomber di Trastevere“ all his career.
He joined Lazio as a teenager and was part of a highly talented youth sector. The Lazio Primavera (U19s) with manager Paolo Carosi won the scudetto in 1975-76. In his squad he had the crėme de la crème of Lazio youth players: Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Andrea Agostinelli, Maurizio Montesi and Massimo De Stefanis.
He made his official club debut on October 5, 1975, when he came on as a substitute and scored the winner away at Sampdoria, latching on to a pass by Giorgio Chinaglia, his boyhood idol. He then became Lazio's number 9 when “Long John” left for New York Cosmos in 1976. Giordano became one of the best players of his generation and was top Serie A goal scorer in 1979 with 19 goals.
In 1980 however his career suffered a dramatic setback. He was accused, along with childhood friend and teammate Lionello Manfredonia, goalkeeper Massimo Cacciatori and Captain Giuseppe Wilson, of being involved in the “Totonero” match fixing scandal. The punishment was first an 18 month ban then increased on appeal to three-and-a-half years. Lazio as a club were also penalized for their players' alleged involvement and were relegated to Serie B.
Giordano has always proclaimed his innocence. “I had nothing to do with it. The ban was a blatant injustice, a ban based on no proof and none of the accusers mentioned my name”. The criminal judgment a year later gave a verdict of not guilty to all the players.
After Italy's World Cup triumph in 1982, two years were taken off all the bans, so Giordano and Manfredonia could start playing again.
When Giordano returned for the 1982-83 season Lazio were still languishing in the second division. He took up where he left off however and helped Lazio back into the big time with 18 goals.
The following season saw him experience another blow, breaking his leg at an away match at Ascoli. He was out for much of the second half of the season but did manage to return in time to help Lazio avoid relegation. A fate not even he could prevent a year later when, after a dismal season, Lazio were relegated. Giordano played a total of 260 games for his beloved hometown club (165 in Serie A, 38 in Serie B, 43 in Coppa Italia, 8 in the UEFA Cup and 6 in the Intertoto Cup) and scored 116 times (68 in Serie A, 18 in Serie B, 18 in Coppa Italia, 4 in the UEFA Cup and 8 in the Intertoto Cup).
In 1985 he moved to Napoli where he spent three highly successful years. He won a Scudetto and a Coppa Italia in 1987 and was part of the formidable MA-GI-CA trio alongside Diego Armando Maradona and Careca and later Andrea Carnevale. He played 109 games for Napoli scoring 37 goals and setting up countless others as he started playing more for the centre-forwards.
His playing career continued at Ascoli, Bologna and again Ascoli before retiring in 1992.
He played 13 times for Italy, probably too few for a player of his calibre and class. His chances were hampered by the betting scandal and by the emergence of the less talented but incredible goal scoring machine, Paolo Rossi.
After his playing days he coached a myriad of club teams mainly between Serie B and C but never with the success he enjoyed as a player.
Giordano was a strong, yet skilful centre-forward. He was a classy, technical attacker with a powerful finish. He was an all-rounder, he could dribble, had pace, strength and could set up goals as well as score them. The great Argentine Maradona described Giordano as the best Italian he had ever played with and also said he was the most South American of them.
He was certainly an idol for generations of Lazio fans growing up in the late 70's - early 80's and “Bruno-gol” is undoubtedly up there with the club's all-time greats and was definitely one of the most talented.
Giordano is still a Lazio fan and can regularly be heard discussing his beloved home team in the local press, media and radio stations.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup | Intertoto Cup |
1975-76 | 26 (6) | 14 (5) | - | 9 (1) | 3 | |
1976-77 | 30 (13) | 26 (10) | - | 4 (3) | - | - |
1977-78 | 42 (27) | 29 (12) | - | 3 (3) | 4 (4) | 6 (8) |
1978-79 | 36 (21) | 30 (19) | - | 6 (2) | - | - |
1979-80 | 29 (12) | 23 (9) | - | 6 (3) | - | - |
1982-83 | 43 (21) | - | 38 (18) | 5 (3) | - | - |
1983-84 | 23 (8) | 18 (8) | - | 5 | - | - |
1984-85 | 30 (8) | 25 (5) | - | 5 (3) | - | - |
Total | 259 (116) | 165 (68) | 38 (18) | 43 (18) | 7 (4) | 6 (8) |
Sources
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