Wonderful Lazio win in Milan
A Noletti own goal allowed Lazio to win in Milan and maybe put an end to the crisis
Also on this day: February 9, 1958, Lazio Inter 3-1. Two broken legs and a broken nose but Lazio deservedly win 3-1. Player of the day: Luigi Moltrasio
The season so far
Lazio had been promoted to Serie A in the previous season and the objective for the 1963-64 season was to stay in the first tier. The Biancocelesti started off pretty well and after 12 games were fifth after beating Mantova 2-0 at home. Then Lazio lost 7 consecutive games before drawing 0-0 at home against Spal in the match prior to this one in Milan. The Biancocelesti were in a deep crisis with many problems and were just one point above the relegation zone.
The match: Sunday, February 9, 1964, Stadio San Siro, Milan
Everybody expected Milan to win comfortably and with plenty of goals. They were reigning European Champions and were leading the Serie A so the difference between the two teams was enormous. Despite having Cesare Maldini, Giovanni Trapattoni and Gianni Rivera out due to injury, the Milan manager Luis Carniglia was so confident he played with only three defenders, an outrageous move for the time. Lazio too had problems and manager Juan Carlos Lorenzo was forced to substitute Diego Zanetti, Nello Governato and Orlando Rozzoni.
Lazio started the game very well but it was Milan who had the first chances. Dino Sani’s shot was saved by Idilio Cei in the 7th minute and three minutes later Amarildo’s attempt went wide. Immediately after Giancarlo Morrone dribbled three Milan players and was fouled by Ambrogio Pelagalli in the box. Penalty for everybody with the exception of the referee Antonio Di Tonno.
In the 24th minute Massimo Giacomini’s shot was deflected into his own goal by Gilberto Noletti. Lazio were deservedly ahead and Carlo Galli had an opportunity to make it two up four minutes later but missed. Milan’s reaction was weak and lacking in opportunities.
In the second half Amarildo had a chance in the 50th minute but his shot was too high. Morrone was again fouled in the box, this time by goalkeeper Luigi Balzarini, but the referee yet again ignored the foul. Jose Altafini and Bruno Mora had chances in the 57th and 59th minute but Lazio were again dangerous with Giacomini’s cracking shot in the 60th minute that went just wide. Milan’s last chance was in the 68th minute when Altafini took advantage of a Cei mistake but his shot was too high.
Lazio legitimised the score with dangerous counter attacks by Mario Maraschi in the 69th and 70th minute and again Morrone in the 80th and 87th minute.
A well deserved win for Lazio.
Who played for Milan
Balzarini, Noletti, Trebbi, Pelagalli, David, Lodetti, Mora, Sani, Altafini, Amarildo, Fortunato.
Manager: Carniglia.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Lorenzo
Referee: Di Tonno
Goal: 24’ Noletti (og)
What happened next
Things improved slightly after the game with Milan but the issues remained. Lazio continued to have problems scoring. The potential was there, as shown by the game in Milan but also by the one in Turin where Lazio beat Juventus 3-0, but in the end the Biancocelesti could not go further than an 8th place.
Pierluigi Pagni was the player with most appearances (35) and Morrone and Mario Marashi with the most goals (5).
The 1963-64 season had a strange ending for Italian football. At the end of the season Inter and Bologna were tied at the top of the table with 54 points each. It was the first and only time in Italian football history that there was a need for a playoff to determine who would win the scudetto. Bologna had had three points deducted during the course of the season due a doping scandal. But the Rossoblu were able to prove that the samples had been tampered with and had been given back the deducted points.
The first and only scudetto playoff took place on June 7 1964. Bologna beat Inter 2-0.
Lazio 1963-64
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 21 |
Coppa Italia | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
Total | 5 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 21 |
Top five appearances
Players | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Pagni | 35 | 34 | 1 |
Landoni | 34 | 34 | - |
Cei | 32 | 32 | - |
Morrone | 32 | 31 | 1 |
Maraschi | 31 | 31 | - |
Zanetti | 31 | 30 | 1 |
Top goal scorers
Players | Serie A |
Morrone | 5 |
Maraschi | 5 |
Let's talk about Massimo Giacomini
Massimo Giacomini was a very good midfielder but is probably better known for his career as manager.
Born in Udine on August 14 1939, he began playing at Udinese in the youth teams and reached the A side in 1957. He stayed with the Bianconeri until 1961 when he signed for Genoa. In Liguria he stayed for two years helping them to promotion in Serie A in his first year.
Lazio and Genoa in the summer of 1963 had agreed a deal for Rossoblu’s Edwin Firmani, but he refused. As partial compensation, Genoa sold half of Giacomini to Lazio. He did not have an easy impact with the Biancocelesti. He had been suspended for a number of games and was involved in a car accident on the Cassia where a person died. However he was considered one of the strong points of that Lazio team. Tall, strong, he was not particularly quick but he had intuition so he always knew what to do with the ball.
Despite the fact that he wanted to stay with the Biancocelesti and the manager Umberto Mannocci wanted to build the team around him, in 1964 he went back to Genoa. In 1965 he signed for Brescia and a year later for Milan. He hardly played in Milan (one appearance in two seasons) and was considered too old. In 1968 he went to Triestina where he stayed for two years before playing the last three years of his professional football back at Udine.
He played 16 games for Lazio.
He started his managerial career at Udine in 1973-74 in Serie C taking the team to second place. A year later he took Treviso from Serie D to Serie C. After being sacked after ten games at Salerno in 1975, in 1977 he was back as manager at Udine. With him Udinese went from Serie C to Serie A in two years also winning the Serie C Coppa Italia.
In 1979 he became manager at Milan. In his first year the team was in Serie B due to the Totonero scandal, but the purgatory of the second tier lasted only a year. He quit Milan with one match to go in Serie B due to contrasts with the club management.
He would later manage Torino, Napoli, Triestina, Perugia and Venezia. Back at Udine in 1987, he was sacked after only 5 games. His last years as manager were with Brescia, Triestina, Cagliari (for just 6 games) and Pro Gorizia.
His stint at Lazio was brief but he showed he had a lot of talent and it was a pity that he did not continue with the Biancocelesti.
Lazio career
Season | Serie A appearances |
1963-64 | 15 |
Sources