December 15, 1985: Lazio-Pescara 2-1

Dag Jenkins
19 hours ago
8 min read

Lazio up to 4th with nervy win

Lazio lead by two goals but almost let Pescara snatch a point

The season so far

Lazio's new dawn under Giorgio Chinaglia had failed and they were back in Serie B. Despite changing manager twice (Paolo Carosi to Juan Carlos Lorenzo and finally to Bob Lovati/Giancarlo Oddi) Lazio came second bottom and made the drop. Chinaglia's financial partners had never materialized and he was in huge difficulty. Turbulent times on and off the pitch.

This year the new manager was much respected Gigi Simoni. Lazio had been obliged to sell their star players; Bruno Giordano (Napoli), Lionello Manfredonia (Juventus) plus Michael Laudrup had gone (Juventus - end of 2-year loan). Also leaving were keepers Massimo Cacciatori (Gubbio) and Fernando Orsi (Arezzo), defender Renato Miele (Triestina) and midfielders Giancarlo Marini (Genoa) and Joao Batista (Avellino).

Lazio had brought in some players more suitable to the new financial and sporting situation. A rare deal with Roma was made and in came goalkeeper Astutillo Malgioglio, three defenders arrived: Fabio Calcaterra (Inter-loan), Roberto Galbiati (Torino) and Giorgio Magnocavallo (Atalanta), a midfielder Domenico Caso (Torino) and two forwards, Giuliano Fiorini (Genoa) and Fabio Poli (Cagliari). The two forwards would later prove to be history changers for Lazio.

In the Coppa Italia, in August and September, Lazio had won two (Catania 1-0 and Monopoli 2-0) and drawn three (Atalanta 2-2, Taranto 0-0 and Sampdoria 0-0) but were eliminated on goal difference.

In Serie B the Biancocelesti had so far won 5 (Palermo 2-1 on debut, Campobasso 2-0, Arezzo 2-0, Triestina 2-1 and Cagliari 3-1, all at home), drawn 5 and lost 4. The Biancocelesti however had not won since October 27 (D3, L2). They were currently 6th on 15 points (with Triestina, Genoa, Catanzaro and Sambenedettese) but only one point from the last promotion slot (Bologna and Brescia on 16). So, after a decent start Lazio had faded. It was time to return to winning ways.

Pescara had finished 7th in Serie B the previous season. The manager was Enrico Catuzzi and the squad included Lazio connections, Claudio Vagheggi (1981-82), Antonio Elia Acerbis (1986-89), Franco Marchegiani (1989-91) and Cristiano Bergodi (1989-96). The top scorer was Giuseppe De Martino with 12 goals (11 in B).

This season the manager was still Catuzzi. The main new signings were: defenders Giorgio Benini (Frosinone), Roberto Bosco (Reggiana), Massimo Carrera (Alessandria), Luigi Ciarlantini (Campobasso), midfielders Primo Berlinghieri (Solbiatese), Gian Piero Gasperini (Pistoiese), Onofrio Loseto (Bari) plus forwards Rocco Pagano (Derthona) and Stefano Rebonato (Campobasso-back from loan).

Leaving were: defender Mauro Joriatti (Reggiana), Federico Caputi (Taranto), midfielders Franco Baldini (Campobasso), Stefano Dalla Costa (Taranto) and Franco Marchegiani (Frosinone-on loan) plus forwards Claudio Vagheggi (Campobasso) and Giancarlo Tacchi (Foggia).

Pescara were currently 13th on 13 points, with Cremonese and Perugia. The Dolphins had won 5 (including Bologna 2-1 at home on debut and recently Campobasso 2-1 at home), drawn 3 and lost 6 (all away).

In Coppa Italia the Abruzzesi had gone out in the first round. They had drawn 3 (Napoli 0-0, Salernitana 2-2 away and Vicenza 2-2 at home) and lost 2 (Padova 0-1 at home and Lecce 1-2 away).

Lazio really needed to earn two points again and Pescara had lost every game on the road so far (with only two goals scored). The Biancocelesti were therefore expected to be the more likely winners today.

The match: Sunday, December 15, 1985, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

A lovely sunny day saw a slightly smaller crowd than usual, about 25,000.

Neither Lazio nor Pescara had any real absences this afternoon.

Lazio came out of the blocks firing. In the first few minutes they already had two good chances. First Giuliano Fiorini tried his luck from a difficult angle and Maurizio Rossi saved and then Oliviero Garlini hit the crossbar with a header from a corner.

In the 5th minute Lazio scored and it was a spectacular goal too. Garlini headed to Fiorini who coordinated himself and sent a wonderful close-range bicycle kick past Rossi, 1-0.

A dream start for the Biancocelesti but at this point Pescara decided to join the show too. Led by an unstoppable Antonio Acerbis, the visitors forced Astutillo Malgioglio into several saves, the most difficult on Giorgio Roselli whose left-footed shot looked like a sure goal but the keeper from Piacenza got there with the tip of his fingers.

Lazio did not step aside and had efforts with Giorgio Magnocavallo and Fabio Calcaterra and then Garlini headed over the bar with the goal at his mercy after a Magnocavallo deflected cross. Halftime Lazio 1 Pescara 0.

It had seemed easy for Lazio at first but it was game on now.

For the second half the Abruzzesi brought on forward Luigi De Rosa and took off former Lazio defender, Giorgio Benini.

Lazio scored early again. Gabriele Podavini was fouled just outside the area. Garlini took the freekick and it took a deflection off De Rosa and wrong-footed Rossi, 2-0.

At this stage Lazio inexplicably stopped playing. Pescara took control and pulled a goal back in the 67th minute. Acerbis fed Danilo Ronzani who crossed and found diminutive midfielder Roselli with time and space to head past Malgioglio, 2-1.

In the 70th minute Lazio decided to protect themselves by bringing on dynamic midfielder Francesco Fonte for more attacking minded Fabio Poli.

The tide was now in favour of Pescara who continued to attack. Lazio practically played the last twenty minutes in their own half.

In the 84th minute the visitors changed defender Massimo Venturini with another defender Luigi Ciarlantini while Lazio took off Fiorini and put on Francesco Dell'Anno in the hope of holding onto the ball a bit more.

The Dolphins biggest chances came right at the end. First Claudio Vinazzani threw his body before a Rozzani certain equaliser and on the rebound it was forward Garlini who cleared Gian Piero Gasperini's shot off the line.

The final whistle was met with huge relief by Lazio and their fans. An important win but they would have to improve their game management both for their promotion hopes and for their fans' mental wellbeing.

Lazio were now solitary 4th on 17 points, only one behind Brescia and Cesena on 18 (Ascoli were top on 21).

Pescara slipped down to 14th, on 13 points with Palermo, Pescara and Campobasso with only three teams behind them (4 went down). The Pescaresi had not played badly today and could easily have come away with a point but they had to start looking over their shoulders.

Who played for Lazio

Malgioglio, Podavini, Filisetti, Galbiati, Calcaterra, Magnocavallo, Poli (70' Fonte), Vinazzani, Fiorini (84' Dell'Anno), Caso, Garlini

Substitutes: Ielpo, Corti, Damiani

Manager: Simoni

Who played for Pescara

Rossi, Venturini (84' Ciarlantini), Olivotto, Bosco, Benini (46' De Rosa), Ronzani, Gasperini, Acerbis, De Martino Roselli, Rebonato

Substitutes: Turi, Di Cicco, Loseto

Manager: Catuzzi

Referee: Luci

Goals: 5' Fiorini, 50' De Rosa (og), 67' Roselli

What happened next

Lazio had an awful season on and off the pitch and the two were obviously connected. Giorgio Chinaglia was forced to leave and returned to the United States in December. In February Franco Chimenti became president and it was a turbulent season with late or unpaid wages amid confusion and uncertainty. Poor Gigi Simoni did the best he could but Lazio finished 11th, after even risking relegation at one point (a 3-2 away win at Catanzaro in the penultimate game finally blew away all worries). After today Lazio won 5, drew 9 and lost 9. One positive note was Oliviero Garlini who despite Lazio's poor season was top Serie B goal scorer with 18.

As bad as things seemed they got worse. The following season's 1986-87 promotion dream was already shattered in the late summer. Lazio player Claudio Vinazzani was accused of being involved in the "Totonero- bis" match fixing scandal. On August 6 Lazio were sentenced to relegation to Serie C. The owners, the Calleri brothers, risked giving up and leaving while 8,000 fans caused urban warfare under the Football Federation headquarters. The players, already in pre-season training in Gubbio, decided to stay on for now, awaiting the final CAF verdict (the appeal).

On August 26 the appeal court changed the verdict to a lighter nine-point docking in the following season's Serie B. It was still a harsh sentence with two points per victory and especially considering the scant evidence against Lazio, but it meant survival and some hope for the future. So here started the epic -9 season.

Pescara finished 17th and should have been relegated but were then allowed back to Serie B due to Palermo going bust. In the remaining games the Adriatici won 5 (including Lazio 2-0), drew 10 and lost 8. The top scorer was Rebonato with 8 league goals.

In the end the three promoted teams were champions Ascoli plus Brescia and Empoli (instead of 3rd placed Vicenza involved in Totonero scandal) while going down were Monza, Catanzaro, Perugia (to C2 for Totonero) and Palermo (re-starting as US Palermo in C2).

Let’s talk about Giorgio Benini

Giorgio Benini was born in Rome, on June 4, 1962.

He came through the Lazio academy and in 1981-82 joined the first team squad in Serie B. The manager was first Ilario Castagner and then Roberto Clagluna and Lazio struggled finishing 11th. Benini played 2 league games. He first was an unused substitute on November 1 in a home loss to Catania and then made his debut a week later, playing five minutes in an away win in Pistoia. His other appearance came on June 13 when he played the whole second half in an away defeat to Palermo.

In 1982-83 he joined Cattolica for a season. The Giallorossi were in C2 and finished 15th. Benini played 7 league games.

In 1983 he signed for Frosinone and stayed two seasons. The Ciociari were in C2 and finished 8th and 3rd. He played 57 league games and scored 5 goals. His managers were Mario Santececca and briefly former Lazio, Umberto Mannocci (1964-66). His teammates included future Lazio, Luciano De Paola (1993). Santececca would also coach Lazio U19s from 1987-91.

In 1985 Benini moved to Pescara in Serie B. He stayed three seasons on the Adriatic, playing 73 league games and scoring 3 goals. The Dolphins finished 17th (but not relegated), 1st (promoted to A) and 14th in A. The managers were Enrico Catuzzi and then Giovanni Galeone for two seasons. His teammates included Lazio connections Stefano Ferretti, Cristiano Bergodi, Claudio Vagheggi, Antonio Elia Acerbis and Franco Marchegiani plus Brazilian star Júnior and future top manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

In 1988 Benini signed for Barletta in Serie B. The Furie Rosse finished 11th in Serie B, first under Francesco Paolo Specchia and then Gesualdo Albanese. He played 24 league games with 1 goal. The squad included Lazio connections: Marco Saltarelli (1982-83) and Giorgio Magnocavallo (1985-87) plus former Inter star Evaristo Beccalossi.

Benini's last club were Prato where he stayed two seasons, 1989-91. The Fiordalisi (Cornflowers) were in Serie C1 and finished 15th (relegated) and 10th in C2. He played 56 league games with 3 goals. His managers were Giovanni Meregalli, Maurizio Bruno and Luigi Mascalaito. In his first season he played alongside former Lazio Angelo Cupini (1983-84).

Benini then retired at 29.

Benini was a defender. He had a brief first team experience with his childhood club Lazio but then continued his career in the provinces. He played 81 games in Serie B and scored 4 goals. His best years were with Pescara where he had the satisfaction of winning the league and promotion. He then played 18 games in Serie A (including against Lazio in Rome).