December 7, 1980: Monza-Lazio 2-2

Dag Jenkins
3 hours ago
10 min read

Moscatelli drama

An eventful game with a non-existent last minute penalty for Monza plus Lazio lose their keeper to serious injury

Other games in December
Season 1980-81

The season so far

The previous season Lazio had been relegated to Serie B, not on the field but in the Sports Justice Courts. Lazio paid for four of their players' alleged involvement in the Totonero match fixing scandal. Lazio were therefore in Serie B without Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Pino Wilson and Massimo Cacciatori.

The new manager was Ilario Castagner who had done well at Perugia. The Biancocelesti also had several new players to try and bounce straight back up to the top flight. Arriving were goalkeeper Maurizio Moscatelli (Pistoiese), defenders Giorgio Mastropasqua (Bologna), Arcadio Spinozzi (Bologna), midfielders Alberto Bigon (Milan), Giuseppe Greco (Torino), Dario Sanguin (Vicenza) and forward Stefano Chiodi (Milan).

Leaving were defender Mauro Tassotti (Milan), midfielders Vincenzo D'Amico (Torino-luckily he would be back), Antonio Lopez (Palermo), Vincenzo Zucchini (Vicenza) and forward Enrico Todesco (Genoa).

In the Coppa Italia in August and early September things had gone well with three wins and a draw (Pescara 2-0 away, Varese 2-1 Verona 3-0 at home and Ascoli 0-0 away). Lazio qualified for the quarter finals to be played in March against Bologna.

Lazio's league debut was on September 14 at home to Palermo and ended 1-1. Since then the Biancocelesti had won 6 and drawn 5. A positive and unbeaten start. Lazio were joint top of the table with Milan on 18 points.

Monza had finished 6th the previous season in Serie B, under Alfredo Magni. The Brianzoli fought for promotion but ultimately fell short. The top scorer was Francesco Vincenzi with 9 league goals.

This season the manager was initially Sergio Carpanesi but he had been sacked after ten games and replaced by Lamberto Giorgis. The main new signings were: goalkeeper Enrico Cavalieri (Genoa), defender Paolo Viganò (Novara), midfielder Fulvio Saini (up from youth team, he would stay until 1998…), Ennio Mastalli (Bologna), Claudio Maselli (Brescia) and Antonio Elia Acerbis (Udinese).

Apart from Acerbis (1986-89), there were two other Lazio connections in the squad, Giovanni Carlo Ferrari (1975-76) and Paolo Monelli (1987-88) Another interesting player was a young Daniele Massaro (306 games for Milan and World Champion in 1982).

Leaving Brianza were: defender Giuliano Vincenzi (Varese), Giuseppe Corti (Genoa), midfielders Nevio Scala (Adriese), Guido Gorin (Teramo) plus forwards Ugo Tosetto (Vicenza) and Francesco Vincenzi (Milan).

So far, the Biancorossi were yet to win a game, they had drawn 6 and lost 6. They were however unbeaten at home. In the table they were 20th and bottom on 6 points with Palermo (who started at -5) and four from safety (Varese and Verona on 10 points).

An easy game only on paper for Lazio who had everything to lose against the worst team in the league who as mentioned however had never lost in front of their home supporters.

The match: Sunday, December 7, 1980, Stadio Gino Alfonso Sada, Monza

A sunny but freezing day with northerly winds in Lombardy. There were about 7,000 spectators in the small old ground built in 1945.

Lazio were without midfielder Nando Viola while the hosts were missing midfielder Ennio Mastalli.

If Lazio were expecting to stroll to a victory they soon had to change their minds as Monza came out firing.

Lazio were forced on the defensive. In the 7th minute the locals had a freekick by Giovanni Carlo Ferrari which went through the wall but Maurizio Moscatelli parried and then Paolo Pochesci cleared for a corner.

Lazio absorbed the early pressure and in the 14th minute had a freekick of their own. Giorgio Mastropasqua took it and Alberto Bigon headed towards goal but Roberto Maroncini did well to save and then Antonio Acerbis booted the ball upfield.

Both sides battled hard but there were no more really clear-cut chances before halftime, 0-0 at the break.

For the second half the Biancorossi brought on midfielder Renato Acanfora and took off defender Giuseppe Pallavicini.

Lazio, despite Monza's fighting spirit, had more quality and in the 52nd minute took the lead. Giuseppe Greco sent Filippo Citterio down the left wing and the full-back burst into the area and struck a shot on which Renzo Garlaschelli got a touch which beat Marconcini, 0-1.

The Brianzoli reacted and equalised only three minutes later. Acanfora to Ferrari who crossed and Daniele Massaro pounced and beat Moscatelli, 1-1.

At this point Lamberto Giorgis decided to replace Acerbis with Lino Giusto.

In the 65th minute came the first controversial episode as Arcadio Spinozzi was booked for a perfectly run of the mill foul, hardly yellow card material. The fact is "Spina", who was marking danger man Paolo Monelli then got irritated and after his next foul a few minutes later on Monelli he got given his marching orders.

Lazio were in ten men and immediately changed Garlaschelli for defender Dario Pighin. Lazio had difficulty in coping with Lombards' new found energy but nevertheless took back the lead in the 80th minute. It was another controversial moment as goalkeeper Maroncini slapped the ball away from a Stefano Chiodi header and it ended up on Francesco Stanzione's arm. The referee pointed to the penalty spot but there was the sensation he was making up for his treatment of Spinozzi and also for a much clearer and intentional handball by Claudio Maselli earlier in the game. Chiodi stepped up and it was 1-2 to Lazio.

The home crowd was not pleased. The atmosphere became heavy with sticks, coins and cans hurtling down onto the pitch.

The game went on and in the 82nd minute the Lazio keeper Moscatelli suddenly collapsed to the ground. At first it was thought he had been hit by some of the fans' ammunition but it then transpired that he had hurt himself stepping on a hole in the grass. He went off on a stretcher and it soon came out that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon (in those days still a serious injury).

He was replaced by Aldo Nardin as Lazio tried to resist the assaults from both the opposition and their supporters.

Lazio played the last minutes all inside the area and it seemed they had almost made it when the referee decided to be a protagonist again. In the 89th minute Massaro literally and theatrically threw himself against Pochesci and then fell like a sack of potatoes. A freekick to Lazio? No, Mr. Pairetto gave a penalty to Monza just to be sure to further mess up his performance.

Acanfora took it and scored. Final score 2-2.

A draw which was probably a fair result and would have been accepted by both sides prior to the game. The way it came about however made both teams come off the field feeling hard done by.

More worrying for Lazio was the injury to their keeper who would be out for a lengthy period.

Lazio were now solitary leaders as Milan had fallen to a shock 0-3 defeat at Taranto.

Monza were still bottom on 7 points but now with Vicenza and three points from safety rather than four (Varese on 10).

Who played for Monza

Marconcini, Motta, Viganò, Acerbis (55' Giusto), Stanzione, Pallavicini (46' Acanfora), Massaro, Maselli, Monelli, Ronco, G.C.Ferrari

Substitutes: Cavalieri, Blangero, Tatti

Manager: Giorgis

Who played for Lazio

Moscatelli (82' Nardin), Spinozzi, Citterio, Perrone, Pochesci, Mastropasqua, Garlaschelli (69' Pighin), Sanguin, Chiodi, Bigon, Greco

Substitutes: Ghedin, Cenci, Albani

Manager: Castagner

Referee: Pairetto

Goals: 52' Garlaschelli, 55' Massaro, 80' Chiodi (pen), 90' Acanfora (pen)

Red Card: 69' Spinozzi

What happened next

Lazio went very close to promotion but just fell short and finished 4th. Lazio battled all season with the frontrunners. Moscatelli meanwhile was out for more than a year and would never be the same keeper again.

In the next two games Lazio continued to do well beating Pisa 2-1 at home and drawing 1-1 away to Sampdoria. Then came the game against Milan at home and Lazio lost 0-2. They felt the blow and did not win again for three matches. They recovered however and in the following 17 games they won 6, drew 8 (including Milan 1-1 away) and lost 3. The Biancocelesti seemed on course for promotion.

Then came the June 14 home game against Vicenza. The table read Milan 48, Genoa 44, Cesena 44, Lazio 44 for three places in A.

With the score on 1-1, Lazio were awarded a penalty in the 87th minute. Stefano Chiodi, the specialist who had never missed a penalty, stepped up and…missed, obviously, hitting the post. Cesena and Genoa won and a demoralised Lazio then only drew the last away game at Taranto and so came 4th. A huge disappointment. The top scorer was Alberto Bigon with 10 goals (9 in B).

In Coppa Italia, in the quarter finals, Lazio lost 0-2 both home and away against Bologna. The cup was eventually won by Roma who beat Torino on penalties.

Monza ended up relegated in 20th position. In the following 25 games they won 4 (their first win came a week later), drew 10 and lost 11 (including Lazio 0-2 in Rome and their first at home in January 18 against Milan). They tried changing managers again after the 30th fixture bringing in Franco Fortuna but it was too late. The top scorer was Paolo Monelli with 7 league goals (out of 24 in 38 games).

The Brianzoli went down with Vicenza, Atalanta and Taranto.

Monza then came straight back up again and in 2022 even made it up to Serie A although they are currently in Serie B again.

Lets talk about Maurizio Moscatelli

Maurizio Moscatelli was born in Cesena, on March 26, 1955.

He started playing for his hometown club going through all the various age group sides.

In 1974 he was added to the first team squad in Serie A but before making his debut he left on loan to Piacenza in Serie C.

At Piacenza he was initially a reserve but then played regularly, making 17 league appearances and helping the Biancorossi to promotion to Serie B under Giovan Battista Fabbri. The following season he had some injury problems and played 6 league games while Piacenza finished 18th and relegated.

In 1976 Moscatelli joined Spezia on loan in Serie C. He was first choice keeper and played 37 league games under manager Nedo Sonetti. The Bianconeri finished 3rd. Moscatelli won the award of best Serie C goalkeeper of the year.

In 1977 he returned to his parent club Cesena, now in Serie B. He made his debut for the Seahorses, playing 11 league games, under Giuseppe Marchioro. The Romagnoli finished 8th. His teammates included Lazio legend Giancarlo Oddi.

In 1978-79 he was loaned to Pistoiese in Serie B. He stayed two seasons playing regularly. In the first season the Tuscans finished 5th while in the second they conquered a historic promotion to Serie A under Enzo Riccomini. Moscatelli played a total of 76 league games and in 1979/80 won the Guerin d'Oro for best Serie B goalkeeper. His teammates included Lazio legend Mario Frustalupi, former Lazio Sergio Borgo plus future top-level managers Marcello Lippi and Francesco Guidolin.

Moscatelli was now a rated keeper and in 1980 he joined Lazio. He was considered an excellent signing for the Romans who had just been relegated to Serie B for some of their players' alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse match fixing scandal. He stayed three years but things didn't go as everyone had hoped. In December 1980, in an away game at Monza, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and never really recovered. He was out for 14 months but then when he finally returned he was behind Felice Pulici and Dario Marigo and then Fernando Orsi in the pecking order. Meanwhile Lazio narrowly missed out on promotion the first year under Ilario Castagner, had an awful second season and finally won promotion in the third. Moscatelli played a total of 21 league games for Lazio.

In 1983 with Lazio back in Serie A he was sold to Cavese in Serie B. He made 22 league appearances and the Blifoncé finished 19th and relegated, under three different managers; Maurizio Bruno, Umberto Pinardi and Oliviero Bugatti. The squad included Lazio connections Ernesto Calisti, Antonio Sciarpa, Raffaele Sergio and Claudio Vagheggi plus future top manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

He then returned to Pistoiese in Serie C1 but only played 4 league games and the Arancioni were relegated under three different managers; Mario Caciagli, Antonio Giammarinaro and Giuseppe Malavasi. The squad still included Sergio Borgo plus former Lazio Rinaldo Piraccini. Gasperini was also at Pistoiese.

In 1985-86 Moscatelli was at Ancona in Serie C1 but only played one league game. The manager was Bruno Pace and the Biancorossi finished 8th.

In 1986 he joined Vis Pesaro in Serie C2. He stayed two seasons and finally started playing regularly again, playing 93 league games. In the first season the Vissini won promotion to C1 under Walter Nicololetti and in the second 8th. In the second season his teammates included future Lazio manager Delio Rossi.

Moscatelli's last club was Riccione in C2 in 1988-89. He only played 4 league games and the Biancazzurri were relegated.

He then retired at 34.

He became a goalkeeper coach and was involved with Cesena for many years both with the youth and the first team squads.

Moscatelli was a goalkeeper, he was tall but agile with great reflexes. His career obviously has a before and an after his injury. Before his injury he had a great future ahead of him, he had just won a promotion to Serie A with Pistoiese and was now playing with Lazio who had the objective of immediate promotion. Without his injury they may have achieved that objective (goalkeeper Aldo Nardin certainly lost them a few points) and who knows how Moscatelli's career would have evolved. Surely better than after his injury when he was never the same keeper again.

He played 125 games in Serie B and won two promotions (Pistoiese to A and Piacenza to B).

Lazio Career

Season	Total appearances	Serie B	Coppa Italia
1980-81	17	13	4
1981-82	5	5	-
1982-83	8	3	5
Total	30	21	9

Sources

Lazio Wiki

Lazio Stories