February 5, 1967: Torino-Lazio 1-1
- Dag Jenkins
- 12 hours ago
- 9 min read
Referee loses rule book
Good away point but Lazio upset about unfairly chalked off goal
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 12th under Umberto Mannocci. The highlights were beating Roma 1-0 (the other derby was 0-0) and Milan 2-0 away. Top scorer was Vito D'Amato with 7 league goals.
This season Mannocci had stayed on but then been replaced on November 7 by Maino Neri. The main summer transfers in were defender Sergio Castelletti (Fiorentina, after 214 league games), midfielders Arrigo Dolso (Udinese), Rino Marchesi (Fiorentina), Giuseppe Massa (Internapoli) plus forwards Romano Bagatti (Varese), Juan Carlos Morrone (Fiorentina) and Gianni Sassaroli (Avellino-end of loan). Lazio had then added defender Pietro Adorni (Napoli) in the autumn, but his medical had cast some doubts on his physical efficiency so the Biancocelesti had also brought in young defender Antonio Maggioni (Juventus - on loan).
Leaving were defenders Vincenzo Gasperi (Varese), Giampiero Vitali (Fiorentina), midfielder Giovanni Sacco (Juventus-end of loan) plus forwards Nicola Ciccolo (Vicenza), Antonio Renna (Varese) and Orlando Rozzoni (SPAL).
The season started with a 1-5 away defeat to Fiorentina. A sign of things to come. Since then Lazio had won 3 (including Inter 1-0 at home), drawn 8 (including Milan 2-2 away, Juventus and Torino both 0-0 at home) and lost 6 (including derby 0-1). Lazio were currently joint 14th, with Vicenza on 14 points, sharing the last relegation slot. The main problem, and not a minor one, was scoring goals, only 11 in 18 games. A week earlier the Biancocelesti had drawn 0-0 at home to Fiorentina.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio had beaten Catania 1-0 away in September but then lost 0-2 at home to Lecco on November 27 and were out.
Torino had finished 10th under Nereo Rocco the previous season. The Granata had drawn 2-2 at home against Lazio but lost 0-1 in Rome. The top scorer was Gigi Meroni with 6 league goals. The squad included Lazio connections Giambattista Moschino (1962-63, 1971-73) and Gigi Simoni (manager 1985-86).
This season the manager was still Rocco. The main new signings were goalkeeper Franco Sattolo (Sampdoria), defender Cesare Maldini (Milan - after 412 games) and Mario Trebbi (Milan) plus forwards Nestor Combin (Varese), Carlo Facchin (Catania) and Giovanni Fanello (Catania).
Leaving Toro were defender Roberto Rosato (Milan) and Luciano Teneggi (Catania), midfielder Amilcare Ferretti (Alessandria), Aldo Agroppi (Potenza - on loan, he would be back the following year and then play 281 games) plus forwards Enrico Albrigi (Catania), Ulisse Gualtieri (Alessandria), Alberto Orlando (Napoli) and Jürgen Schütz (Roma).
So far, Torino were joint 9th, on 18 points with Mantova. The Granata had won 4 (including Atalanta 6-1), drawn 10 (including Lazio and derby 0-0) and lost 4. Their most recent result was a 0-0 draw at SPAL.
In Coppa Italia they had got through the first two rounds, Alessandria 1-0 away, Messina 4-0 at home and would now play Milan away in March.
An uncertain outcome today. Both sides were not impartial to draws and neither scored much; Lazio 11 and Torino 15 (including six against Atalanta). A tight match was expected.
The match: Sunday, February 5, 1967, Stadio Comunale, Turin
A cold and slightly foggy day with about 15,000 spectators at the Comunale.
Lazio played without defender Diego Zanetti and midfielder Rino Marchesi while Toro were missing forward Carlo Facchin.
The two sides played a similar style, a strong defence and quick counterattacks.
Lazio threatened first with a Paolo Carosi shot which Lido Vieri saved with some difficulty and then a Vito D'Amato initiative was blocked by a sturdy last-ditch tackle by Bruno Bolchi.
In the 16th minute Idilio Cei was called into action for the first time by a Giorgio Ferrini effort.
Lazio then set up a good counterattack which resulted in Alberto Mari crossing and D'Amato getting a header in but Vieri parried, the ball then reached Romano Bagatti who crossed again to Carosi but his shot was just off target.
In the 28th minute a freekick by Mari from an inviting position went just over the bar.
In the 32nd minute Toro responded with a Nestor Combin shot but Cei touched it behind for a corner.
In the 40th minute Lazio scored, with a superb solo effort by D'Amato. The Apulian forward received the ball from Carosi on the halfway line, darted forward past Ferrini, weaved his way past Cesare Maldini and then approaching the penalty spot fired a shot into the corner, 0-1.
A great goal but the Roman visitors' lead did not last long. In the 43rd minute Antonio Maggioni was judged to have fouled Combin just inside the box and the referee had no doubts and pointed to the penalty spot. Gigi Meroni scored with a precise spot kick to Cei's right, 1-1.
A pity as Lazio had played very well and would have deserved to be leading.
Things changed in the second half as Lazio tired and the home Granata attacked more.
Cei was kept busy on a low Meroni strike and then was superb on a Combin header.
In the 57th minute Maggioni relieved the pressure by charging forward alone but then shot high.
Toro then continued to attack but the next only real danger came in the 76th minute. Combin took a free kick which came off the wall but then fell to Ferrini who hit a powerful and angled shot which Cei did well to get to.
In the 81st minute came an extremely controversial episode. Juan Carlos Morrone put a clever through ball to D'Amato who ran forward but was obstructed by a Natalino Fossati handball at the edge of the area, the ball came back to D'Amato who hammered it past Vieri. A goal due to the advantage rule? Not for the referee who went back and awarded the Biancocelesti a freekick.
In the last few minutes Torino then had two chances to clinch the two points. First with a Combin shot and then with a close-range Giorgio Puia header on which Cei was nothing short of miraculous. Full time: Torino 1 Lazio 1.
A fair draw in the end. Lazio had been on top in the first half and Torino in the second but Lazio had regrets for the unjust disallowing of their potential winner. Nevertheless, a positive point for the Biancocelesti.
Lazio's best players had been Cei in goal, Pierluigi Pagni in defence, Mari in midfield and D'Amato up front.
Lazio were now joint 13th, on 15 points with SPAL. The Biancocelesti were one point above the drop zone, Vicenza on 14.
Torino were still joint 9th, on 19 points with Mantova.
Who played for Torino
Manager: Rocco
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Neri
Referee: Carminati
Goals: 40' D'Amato, 43' Meroni (pen)
What happened next
Lazio ended up relegated by one point. The Biancocelesti only won 3 more games, drew 6, lost another 6 and finished 15th on 27 points. The return derby ended 0-0 and the Biancocelesti only scored 20 goals all season. Top scorers were Romano Bagatti and Juan Carlos Morrone with 4 league goals each.
An awful season and the next would not be much better.
Torino finished 7th. The Granata then won 6 (including Inter 2-1 away), drew 7 (including derby 0-0) and lost 2. The top scorer was Gigi Meroni with 9 league goals.
In Coppa Italia the Torinisti then lost 2-4 to Milan in the 3rd round.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus for their 13th league title while Milan won their first Coppa Italia (Padova 1-0). Lazio went down to the second flight with Foggia, Venezia and Lecco (the Lombards have never been back).
Let's talk about Cesare Maldini
Today in our opponents series we will talk about the first of the Maldini dynasty.
Cesare Maldini was born in Trieste, on February 5, 1932. He was born in the Slovenian quarter of Servola and both his parents were of Slovenian origin.
At 13 he joined the Triestina academy. He went through the youth system, despite suffering from pleurisy, and moved up to the first team in 1952-53.
He stayed in Trieste for two seasons. In the first he only played one game but in the second became a regular with 31 league games. The Alabardati finished 15th in A under Mario Perazzolo and 13th under Nereo Rocco. His teammates included former Lazio, Bruno Ispiro (1946-47).
In 1955 he joined A.C Milan. He would stay twelve seasons. He immediately became a regular and went on to make 412 appearances (347 in A) with 3 goals (Triestina, Roma, Catania). He won 4 league titles (1955, 1957, 1959 and 1962) and a European Cup (1963). His managers included Béla Guttmann, Héctor Puccinelli, Giuseppe Viani, Luigi Bonizzoni, Paolo Todeschini, Nereo Rocca, Luis Carniglia and Nils Liedholm. The various squads included Lazio connections: Amos Mariani (1959-61), Per Bredesen (1952-55), Carlo Galli (1963-66), Paolo Ferrario (1960-61, 1962-63), Mario Maraschi (1961-64), Orlando Rozzoni (1959-61, 1962-1964, 1965-1966), Giuliano Fortunato (1967-72) plus future managers such as Gigi Radice, Osvaldo Bagnoli, Nils Liedholm, Giovanni Trapattoni and Nevio Scala. He played alongside the likes of Lorenzo Buffon, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Omero Tognon, Gunnar Nordahl, Gianni Rivera, Jimmy Greaves, Giovanni Lodetti, José Altafini, Amarildo, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger just to name a few.
In 1966 he left Milan, reunited with Nereo Rocco and played one last season with Torino. He made 39 appearances (33 in A) and the Granata finished 7th. His teammates included Lazio connections Giambattista Moschino (1962-63, 1971-73), Carlo Facchin (1971-72) and Gigi Simoni (manager 1985-86)
He then retired at 35.
At international level he won 14 caps for Italy and was captain on six occasions. He took part in the 1962 World Cup.
After retiring as a player stayed in football.
He started at Milan from 1967-71 as a technical adviser. In 1971-72 he was assistant manager to Nereo Rocco and Milan finished 2nd, won the Coppa Italia and reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals. In 1972-73 he was Milan head coach with Nereo Rocco as technical director and the Rossoneri won the Coppa Italia, the Cup Winners Cup and finished 2nd in Serie A. The following season he took over from Rocco in December and then in April Giovanni Trapattoni took over.
From January 28, 1974, Maldini left Milan and was manager of Foggia for just over a year. The "Satanelli" were in Serie B and he took over from Lauro Toneatto and finished 8th. In the second he was replaced after 20 games by Roberto Balestri and the Rossoneri eventually finished 3rd and promoted. The promotion squad included Lazio connections Fausto Inselvini (1973-74) and Aldo Nicoli (1978-81).
In 1976-77, from the 12th fixture to the 24th, he was in charge of Ternana in Serie B. His squad included Paolo Franzoni (Lazio 1973-75). The Umbri eventually finished 14th.
In 1978-79 he took over during the season at Parma in Serie C1 and won promotion with a 2nd place finish. His players included Carlo Ancelotti (future Milan player and then top coach).
In 1979-80 he continued at Parma but was replaced during the season and the Gialloblu were eventually relegated.
In 1980 he became an Italian Federation man and became assistant to Italy head coach Enzo Bearzot. Together they won the World Cup in “España" 1982.
In 1986 he became Italy U-21s coach and stayed ten years. He won three consecutive European Championships (1992, 1994, 1996). From 1992-96 he was also head of the Italian Olympic team.
In 1996 he became Italian first team head coach. The Azzurri qualified for France' 98 but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the hosts on penalties.
After a few years of rest, he reappeared in 2001, at Milan as technical director from game 23 to 34 with Mauro Tassotti as manager. The Rossoneri finished 6th. His son Paolo was in the squad.
In 2001-02 he was head coach of Paraguay. The Albirroja participated in the 2002 World Cup and qualified for the last 16 after a win (Slovenia 3-1), a draw (South Africa 2-2) and a defeat (Spain 1-3). They then lost to Germany 0-1 and were eliminated.
At 70 he then retired as a manager too. A long and successful career both as player, manager and assistant manager.
As a player Maldini is a Milan legend. He played for twelve seasons and was later manager. He played 412 games with five seasons as captain. He won trophies as a player and as a manager.
As a player he was a defender. He could play in any defensive role. He started as a full-back but could also play as centre-back and later in his career played as libero. He is considered one of the best defenders of his generation, strong, skilful, good in the air. He was also charismatic and a born leader. His only fault was sometimes he abused his technical qualities and this overconfidence led to the occasional mistake, at the time called "maldinate".
As a coach he was a traditional one, using man-to-man marking, a big forward and one faster and more skilful one.
The Maldini dynasty then continued with his son Paolo, one of the all-time greats (Milan 1984-2009 and 126 Italy caps) and now with grandson Daniele (Milan, Monza, Atalanta, Lazio and 6 Italy caps).
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