top of page
Search

December 3, 2003: Modena-Lazio 0-2, Coppa Italia

  • Writer: Dag Jenkins
    Dag Jenkins
  • 1 day ago
  • 9 min read

Lazio start cup chase


With a 2-0 away win the Biancocelesti virtually book last 16 place



Source Lazio Wiki
Source Lazio Wiki

The season so far


The previous season had been a positive one for Lazio, despite being the first without Alessandro Nesta. The Biancocelesti, under Roberto Mancini, finished 4th and therefore qualified for the Champions League (preliminary round). They also reached two semi-finals: Coppa Italia (Roma 1-3) and UEFA Cup (eventual winners Porto 1-4 on aggregate). Top scorer was Claudio Lopez with 17 goals (15 in A).

 

This season more sacrifices were made due to the club's critical financial situation. Leaving were Scudetto heroes Luca Marchegiani (Chievo), defender Giuseppe Pancaro (Milan) and midfielder Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid) plus midfielders Dino Baggio, (Blackburn-on loan), Lucas Castromán (Udinese-on loan) and forward Enrico Chiesa (Siena). It seemed Dejan Stankovic would also leave but ended up staying, at least for now.

 

Arriving were keeper Matteo Sereni (Brescia), defender Luciano Zauri (Atalanta), midfielders Demetrio Albertini (Milan) and Ousmane Dabo (Atalanta) and striker Roberto Muzzi (Udinese). Lazio also welcomed back Scudetto hero Sergio Conceição (free agent).

 

So not a lot to get excited about but this was the transition phase between Sergio Cragnotti's golden era and Claudio Lotito's austerity era. The President at the moment was Ugo Longo.

 

So far, it had been a mixed bag in Serie A. Lazio had played 11 games, winning 6 (Lecce, Sampdoria, Chievo, Bologna, Udinese and Perugia), drawing 1 (Empoli) and losing 4 (Parma, Milan, the derby to two late goals and most recently 0-3 at Siena). Lazio were therefore on 19 points and were in 6th position.

 

In the Champions League Lazio had got through the preliminary round in August, defeating Benfica 4-1 on aggregate. Things had then started well in the group phase, with a 2-0 away win Istanbul against BeÅŸiktaÅŸ, but then went downhill with a 2-2 home draw against Sparta Prague (with a Karel Poborsky goal), two defeats against Chelsea and a 1-1 home draw with BeÅŸiktaÅŸ. It would be difficult to qualify now. Lazio had one more game, away to Sparta Prague on December 9.

 

In today's competition, the Coppa Italia, this was Lazio's debut, a last 16 first leg away at Modena.

 

Modena had finished 12th in Serie A the previous season. The manager was Gianni De Biasi and the Canarini had lost 0-4 to Lazio away and drawn 0-0 at home. The Gialloblu’s best result was a 2-1 win away to Roma. The top scorer was Giuseppe Sculli with 8 league goals. Apart from Sculli, other Lazio connections were Stefano Mauri and Marco Ballotta.

 

This season the manager was Alberto Malesani. The main new signings were: defender Matteo Pivotto (Palermo), midfielders Antonio Marasco (Palermo), Vedin Musić (Como) and Riccardo Allegretti (Como) plus forwards Fabio Vignaroli (Salernitana) and Nicola Amoruso (Como).

 

Leaving were: midfielders Marcello Albino (Cagliari), Stefano Mauri (Brescia - on loan), Giacomo Ferrari (Albinoleffe), Giuseppe Colucci (Brescia via Verona - end of loan) plus forwards Giuseppe Sculli (Chievo via Juventus - end of loan) and Andrea Fabbrini (Torino).

 

So far, the Modenesi had won 4, drawn 2 and lost 5. They were 11th on 14 points with Siena and Chievo (4 points from last relegation slot, Bologna on 7).

 

To get to today's last 16 tie Modena had eliminated Sambenedettese 3-2 on aggregate.

 

A difficult game for Lazio today but, considering it was a home and away tie, Lazio were expected to qualify.

 

The match: Wednesday, December 3, 2003, Stadio Alberto Braglia, Modena


A sparse crowd of about 3,000 turned up on a humid December evening. It had rained over the previous days so the pitch was heavy.

 

Lazio fielded a strong side, of the league regulars only goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, defenders Giuseppe Favalli and Jaap Stam were missing.

 

Modena on the other hand rested defender Jacopo Balestri, midfielder Oscar Milanetto plus forward Nicola Amoruso. They also had Diomansy Kamara on the bench.

 

Modena started well and threatened on the break. They had no major chances but kept Lazio worried. Fabio Vignaroli had a decent effort and in the 23rd minute Carlo Taldo had a header go wide.

 

Just before the half hour mark Lazio stirred and had two chances. Simone Inzaghi crossed and Dejan Stankovic hit the crossbar with a header and then Demetrio Albertini had a good shot saved by Adriano Zancopè.

 

Modena then had a penalty appeal when a sturdy Luciano Zauri tackle brought down Taldo but the referee remembered this was a physical contact sport and saw nothing in it.

 

Lazio then stepped up a gear. It was Stankovic who led the charge. First, he had another header go just wide and then he teed up Inzaghi who beat the offside trap and slotted the ball between the keeper and the post, 0-1.

 

Stankovic was on fire and he almost doubled the score in the 44th minute when he tried his luck from about 50 metres out but Zancopè produced an acrobatic save to deny the Serb.

 

In the second half Modena gradually disappeared from the contest and Lazio dominated.

 

In the 47th minute Claudio Lopez shaved the post set up by Inzaghi. The Argentine went off soon after, replaced by Giuliano Giannichedda.

 

In the 56th minute the hosts made their first change bringing on Roberto Cevoli for Nicola Campedelli.

 

In the 65th minute Lazio practically closed the game. Inzaghi again was the assist man and Roberto Muzzi blasted a right foot past Zancopè, 0-2.

 

Both sides then made substitutions, Modena put on Diomansy Kamara for Massimo Scoponi and Lazio, Alfonso Delgado for Muzzi.

 

In the 71st minute Stankovic again teed up Inzaghi but after a good first touch the Emiliano striker missed the target. He went off shortly after and was replaced by Sergio Conceição.

 

In the last ten minutes the Canaries could have pulled a goal back, to at least give themselves some hope for the return match. Riccardo Allegretti's freekick took a deflection off the wall and was not far off goal, Nicola Corrent shaved the post and then Cevoli headed just over the bar.

 

There was more bad news for Modena as Kamara went off injured in the 87th minute and on came Antonio Marasco.

 

A good cup win for Lazio against Serie A opposition. Lazio showed they were interested in the competition both by the starting eleven and by the performance. The return leg in Rome in two weeks’ time, bar a major collapse, should almost be a formality.

 

Who played for Modena


Zancopè, Campedelli (56' Cevoli), Pivotto, Pavan, Ungari, Ponzo, Scoponi (68' Kamara, 87' Marasco), Allegretti, Corrent, Vignaroli, Taldo

Substitutes: Ballotta, Vado, Bernardi, Del Sole

Manager: Malesani

 

Who played for Lazio


Manager: Mancini

 

Referee: Messina

 

Goals: 42' S.Inzaghi, 65' Muzzi


What happened next


In the return game Lazio won 1-0 with a Fabio Liverani winner. Lazio then went on to win the cup.

 

Next Lazio eliminated Parma 3-1 on aggregate. That earned them a semi-final against Milan in February and Lazio dominated 6-1 on aggregate. In the return game in Rome Lazio put on a magnificent display and thrashed the Rossoneri 4-0.

 

The final was against Juventus. In the first leg at home Lazio got a comforting 2-0 win, so took a decent lead up to Turin. Under the Mole however the Bianconeri scored after three minutes with Trezeguet and doubled straight after halftime with Del Piero. All square with 44 minutes to go, things were not looking good. Then a towering header by Corradi with twenty minutes to go and a Fiore low strike from the edge of the box, with seven minutes to play, definitely put the light blue and white ribbons on the cup. An immense satisfaction for Lazio who, in the middle of a financial crisis, still managed to lift silverware.

 

In Serie A the Biancocelesti finished 6th (UEFA Cup). In the remaining games they won 10 (including Juventus 2-0 and Inter 2-1 at home), drew 7 (including derby 1-1) and lost 6. The top scorer in all competitions was Stefano Fiore with 16 goals while only for Serie A it was Bernardo Corradi with 10.

 

In the Champions League they lost the last match 0-1 away to Sparta Prague and finished 4th on 5 points. The cup was eventually won by Porto (Monaco 3-0).

 

As for Modena, in the winter market session they brought in several players including defenders Maurizio Domizzi (Sampdoria - on loan), Alessandro Grandoni (Sampdoria - on loan) and John Mensah (Chievo - on loan) plus forwards Stephen Makinwa (Genoa - on loan via Como), Massimo Marazzina (Chievo - on loan via Sampdoria).

 

The new players could not avoid the Gialloblu getting relegated. After today in the league they only won 2, drew 10 (including Lazio, Inter and Milan, all 1-1 at home) and lost 11 (including Lazio 1-2 in the last game of the season). The Emiliani finished 16th. Malesani was sacked in March and in came Gianfranco Bellotto but it was too late (5 points in 8 matches). The top scorer was Diomansy Kamara with 6 league goals.

 

Modena have never been back in Serie A but they are doing well this year (2025-26) in Serie B.


Let’s talk about Fabio Vignaroli


Source Lazio Wiki
Source Lazio Wiki

Fabio Vignaroli was born in Finale Ligure (Savona), on June 7, 1976.

 

In the early 1990's he joined the Como youth sector and in 1994 he was added to the first team squad. He stayed four seasons. In the first he only played 3 league games and the Lariani were relegated to Serie C1 under Marco Tardelli. Over the next three seasons in C1 he played a total of 87games in all competitions with 13 goals. The Biancoblu finished 5th, under Alessandro Scanziani, 11th under Scanziani then Giampiero Marini and 10th under three different managers. In 1997 the Blues won the Serie C Coppa Italia. One of his teammates was future World Champion, Gianluca Zambrotta.

 

In 1998 Vignaroli stayed in Lombardy but moved to Monza in Serie B. He stayed two seasons and played 58 games with 9 goals. The Brianzoli finished 14th under Pierluigi Frosio and then 14th again first under Frosio and then Robrrto Antonelli. His teammates included future Lazio Massimo Oddo (2002-07), a young Patrice Evra plus future top manager Roberto De Zerbi.

 

In 2000 he moved south and joined Salernitana in Serie B. He stayed two and a half seasons. The Granata finished 15th under Francesco Oddo and 6th under Zdenek Zeman. In his second season Vignaroli was top club scorer with 21 goals (20 in league). In January of his third season he left. In total in Salerno he played 90 games and scored 30 goals.

 

In January 2003 he signed for Modena in Serie A. In the first year the Gialloblu finished 12th under Gianni De Biasi but in the second they were relegated under Alberto Malesani and then Gianfranco Bellotto. In the third year, in B under Stefano Pioli, Vignaroli only stayed until January. He played a total of 70 games with 9 goals. His teammates included Lazio connections Marco Ballotta (1997-2000, 2005-08), Giuseppe Sculli (2011-12, 2012-13, 2023-14, 2014-15, with various loans in between), Stefano Mauri (2006-16), Alessandro Grandoni (1995-98) and Stephen Makinwa (2006-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12 with various loans).

 

In January 2005 he joined Parma in A and stayed six months. He played 22 games (16 in A) and the Gialloblu finished 17th, under Silvio Baldini and then Pietro Carmignani. One of his teammates was future Lazio, Mark Bresciano (2010-11).

 

In 2005-06 Vignaroli spent a season with Bologna in Serie B. He played 31 league games with 2 goals under Renzo Ulivieri and the Rossoblu finished 8th.

 

In 2006-07 he played for Bari in Serie B for a year. The manager was first Rolando Maran and then former Lazio, Beppe Materazzi (1988-90). The Galletti finished 13th and Vignaroli played 15 league games.

 

In 2007 he made a surprise move to Lazio. The manager was Delio Rossi and Lazio finished 12th but also played in the Champions League as they had finished 3rd the previous year. Vignaroli was met with scepticism in Rome and only played 9 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia. In fact, he only stayed until January before moving on.

 

His career then continued in Greece for 6 months with Pathrakikos, and Australia for a year and a half with Newcastle Jets.

 

In January to March 2011 he was back at Monza in Serie D. From March to June 2012 he played for Savona in Lega Pro 2 and then his last clubs were in Malta as he played a year each for Mosta and Balzan in the Maltese Premier League.

 

He then retired at 38.

 

In the mid-1990s he represented Italy with the U19s (4 games, 1 goal) and the U20s (2 games).

 

Vignaroli was an attacking midfielder, 1.77 for 71 kilos. He was a versatile player and could cover any attacking position. He played 459 professional games and scored 68 goals. He played 73 games in Serie A with 4 goals. His best year individually was in 2001-02 with Salernitana while his only silverware was a Serie C Coppa Italia with Como in 1997.

 

At Lazio he was not a great success. He was not welcomed particularly well by the fans as he was seen to represent owner Claudio Lotito's lack of ambition. Lazio had qualified for Europe's most prestigious tournament and he signed Vignaroli. Vignaroli had a decent career and he was not without talent but he was not Lazio material in that historical moment.


Lazio Career

Season

Total Appearances

Serie A

Coppa Italia

2007-08

11

9

2


Sources



bottom of page