History of Lazio's Central Defenders

Lazio have had some of the best central defenders in football history. Two names would be enough to show how great they have been: Pino Wilson, captain of the first scudetto, and Alessandro Nesta, captain of the second. In between, before and after, there have been many that have made the club’s history, and also quite a few who are better forgotten. In this article we have tried to go through the history of the Biancocelesti’s central defenders also to show how defending has changed in football throughout the years.

Sources Lazio Wiki

Defending has certainly changed

Initially there were only two defenders. It may seem strange today but the initial formations used to be 2-3-5, the pyramid. All the two at the back had to do was to clear and send the ball as far away as possible. Then in the 1920s Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman introduced the WM formation (3-2-2-3) making it more balanced adding a centre half. This enabled the defenders to man mark and the central defender would take on the opponent’s centre forward.

In the 1950s there was the introduction of the libero (sweeper) and the catenaccio, where the main goal was to cancel out the opposition with fierce man to man marking. The libero was in charge of cleaning up any threats.

From the late 1960s there was the rise of the Dutch system, a zonal defensive organisation with basically everybody able to do everything. This is how Tommaso Maestrelli’s Lazio of the 1970s played. There were some central pieces. Giancarlo Oddi had to man mark the striker, Mario Frustalupi was the playmaker and Giorgio Chinaglia the centre forward, but basically all the others attacked and created as one. The libero started playing the ball a little more. This further evolved in Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan as the central defenders created the first play and often moved to midfield with the ball. The defensive line moved as one and there was a great use of the offside trap.

This evolution is what we now see in football with defenders being almost playmakers in some teams. The 4-4-2 is extremely tight and short, hence all defenders have to know how to move the ball around and not just defend. This is even more extreme with the 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 where it is up to the central defenders to start the action.

Early Lazio defenders

Some of these early Lazio players were football pioneers in Italy where everybody was still learning how to play. There are nine players worth mentioning that played in the early days up to the 1920s.

• Egisto Federici was a football pioneer. He was one of the defenders who won three games in one day in 1908. With Alberto Canalini and Francesco Marrajeni, he formed a formidable and almost impenetrable defensive line.

• Mario Levi II played the finals of the national league in 1913 and 1914 against Pro Vercelli and Casale. He was not a champion but a decent player with great athleticism.

• Carlo Maranghi was one of the defenders of the 1913 final against Pro Vercelli. He was a great player, too good to be placed in defence, where he excelled, so often one could find him in attack. Generous, a fighter, he was a Lazio strong point for 10 years.

• Augusto Parboni joined Lazio in 1920 and played until 1927 with 83 appearances and six goals. He was part of the team that reached the national finals in 1923. 

• Luigi Saraceni II was another major Lazio player. Brother of the legendary Fernando, he was an excellent defender. Not as technical as his brother, he however was more powerful and had a greater resistance. He played 112 games for Lazio and scored 8 goals.

• Umberto Zanelli starting from 1925 formed an excellent defensive wall with Luigi Saraceni. He stayed for three years with 33 appearances.

• Renato Bottaccini was another good defender who played four seasons for Lazio between 1927 and 1931 with 85 appearances.

1930s and 1940s

With football changing and the arrival of the oriundi from South America, we had a number of great players at the back.

• Armando Del Debbio was a tough player, one of those who always gives 100% and sometimes more, as his five red cards for Lazio show. He was popular at Lazio for his gritty style of play and dedication to the cause. He arrived in 1931 and stayed until 1935 appearing 88 times with two goals.

• Benedicto Zacconi was one of the many Brazilian players that came to play in Italy in the 1930s as “oriundi”, of Italian ancestry. Lazio at one point had so many Brazilians they were nicknamed Brazilazio. He signed for Lazio in 1935. He arrived in Italy as a forward but was moved to defence and that is where he played in the Capital. Zacconi was not particularly tall, but very agile and could certainly play football. He stayed until 1939, with 121 appearances and four goals.

• Alberto Fazio arrived in 1940 from Argentina. He stayed three seasons at Lazio. He was a ruthless central defender, nicknamed “the assassin”, he was that harsh. He was a good player, very dedicated, hard worker, generous and with a good vision of play. He made 65 appearances.

• Alessandro Ferri was part of the Under 14 team that drew in Austria against Wacker. He was a great defender, perhaps one of the best Lazio has ever had. Funny, extroverted and well-liked by everybody, he was particularly well known for his memorable practical jokes. He stayed at Lazio eight years appearing 140 times with one goal.

• Francesco Antonazzi is a Lazio legend. He played 11 seasons starting from 1945-46 with 262 appearances for the Biancocelesti and was part of Lazio’s iron defence. He was not very tall, only 1.68, but he was a tough defender and it was never easy for the opposing forwards when they had to play against him. He was not only good at breaking down opposition moves, but also had good technique and often started the game from the back. He was a true Laziale, he felt honoured to wear the Lazio jersey.

• Zeffiro Furiassi is one of Lazio’s greats. A wonderful defender, not particularly tall (1.67 metres), but physically strong and fast. Marvellous man-to-man marker, he was part of that steel defence Lazio had in the 1950s. He arrived at Lazio in 1949, he was part of the team that came fourth for three consecutive years.

1950s

We mentioned the iron defence. During the 1950s Lazio had a solid defensive line made up of players such as the Sentimenti brothers (Lucidio and Vittorio), Antonazzi, Furiassi, Malacarne, Alzani, who from the goalkeeper to the midfield created a wall that allowed the Biancocelesti to arrive fourth for three consecutive seasons. This continued throughout the decade with good solid defenders, some of whom stayed with the club a long time.

• Stefano Malacarne joined Lazio in 1950. He was a solid and versatile defender. He was 1.76 and 76 kilos. He was a quick player, skilful feet, great timing and was good in the air. The peak of his career was with Lazio, especially his first three seasons. He made 92 appearances.

• Adelmo Eufemi was another solid defender. He was a hard battling, strong and gritty player which made him popular with the fans. He played 132 games for Lazio starting in 1954, over eight years and won a Coppa Italia as well as a promotion.

• Nicola Lo Buono arrived in 1955 and went on to make 108 appearances over seven seasons. He was a pillar of the 1958 Cup winning team, playing every game. That first Lazio triumph took on legendary status for later generations, a team that had actually won something, also thanks to Nicola Lo Buono.

• Giovanni Molino was another of the 1958 Coppa Italia heroes. He was a classy player with good technique but was also physically strong. He was at Lazio for six seasons and was a regular choice playing 170 games.

• Franco Janich was one of the classier defenders ever to wear a Lazio jersey. He arrived in 1958 and immediately won the Coppa Italia. He stayed three years and became captain. He went on to play for Bologna and won a scudetto. Janich returned in 1978 as sporting director. At Lazio he was highly regarded and loved by the fans. He never forgot Lazio and always followed the club with affection.

1960s

The 1960s were not the best of times for Lazio as they were relegated twice and generally were not in a healthy state from a financial point of view. But there were some quality players.

• Vincenzo Gasperi was very highly considered at Lazio. Having played at midfield for most of his career, in Rome he moved to the defensive line and his experience always allowed him to be a point of reference for the team. His long passes were fundamental to start counter attacks and he had a good shot, often surprising goalkeepers with his long-range strikes. He arrived in 1961 and stayed until 1966 with 149 appearances and 6 goals.

• Pierluigi Pagni was personally chosen by Fulvio Bernardini when he arrived in 1958. Pagni was a bit too young to play with the adults and it took a while for him to rise up the ranks. He became a regular Lazio player starting from 1962. He started as a full-back but at Lazio was transformed into a centre-back. He was a no frills but extremely efficient defender. For many years he was the pillar of the Biancocelesti's backline and was known for the consistency of his high-level performances.

• Pietro Dotti arrived in 1964. He stayed three years with the Biancocelesti in seasons which cannot exactly be remembered as exciting. He was an excellent defender, agile and fast, always trying to anticipate the opposition forwards' moves. He impressed at Lazio, so in 1967 he had a big chance when he moved to Milan to play for Inter. But the Neroazzurri were at the end of the Grande Inter cycle and he only made 13 appearances. At Lazio he played 96 games.

• Carlo Soldo was a strong defender, 1.78 metres and 75 kilos. His career was hindered, especially in the second part, by his knee injury. The fact that Inter, in their prime, bought him in 1966 shows he had potential. He arrived in November 1967 and did not stay long (until November 1969) but was fundamental for Lazio’s promotion to Serie A in 1969. He made 80 appearances with 5 goals.

• Giuseppe Papadopulo joined Lazio in 1969 and played regularly for three seasons. He was part of the team that won promotion to Serie A in 1971-72 (with 31 games). He also won a Cup of the Alps in 1971. At Lazio he played under managers Juan Carlos Lorenzo and Tommaso Maestrelli both in the centre and at full-back. He was a very physical player, good at man to man marking but Lorenzo in particular refined his technique too. He came back as manager in 2005 and his first game, Lazio won the derby.

  
  

1970s

The 1970s saw another change in the way football was played and the main example was Maestrelli’s Lazio that won the scudetto in 1974 and played what today we could call champagne football. The decade probably saw some of the best defenders Lazio have ever had.

• Pino Wilson. He is the Lazio captain, period. Nobody else has ever, since or before him, interpreted the leadership role both on and off the pitch like he did. He was called the “padrino” (godfather) because of how he managed things within the team. Elegant, great vision, ruthless, the best “libero” Italy has even had, perhaps on a par with Franco Baresi. He played 408 games for Lazio with 8 goals.

• Giancarlo Oddi. For a number of years, he was considered among the best Italian defenders. Expert in man to man marking despite the fact that he was one of those rare defenders who could play easily with both feet, he never really had to participate in the building of the game, so all he needed to think about was to annihilate the opposition’s centre forward. He did that exceptionally well throughout his career. Starting from the 1972-73 season he played 90 consecutive league games for Lazio without ever missing a minute. He left in 1975 after 93 games in Serie A, 11 in Serie B, 24 in Coppa Italia and 4 in the UEFA Cup. He came back in 1984 and was assistant coach to a number of managers, also head coach in 1985 taking over from Juan Carlos Lorenzo.

• Lionello Manfredonia began in defence and later in his career moved to midfield. He joined Lazio at 15 and made his first team debut in 1975. He formed a good defensive partnership with captain Wilson. He was in charge of man marking the opponent’s centre forward and did very well, being also called up for the national team in that role. He was involved in the totonero scandal and stopped playing for a couple of years. When he came back he first started out as libero but soon moved to midfield where he stayed for the rest of his career. He made 234 appearances for the Biancocelesti with 10 goals.

1980s

The relegation due to the Totonero and the six years of Serie B during the 1980s saw a fall in quality in the Lazio defence.

The club looked to the youth sector. Carlo Perrone was the designated next of kin as far as the libero was concerned. One could see that he certainly knew how to play ball, he was very skilful, but he lacked speed. He was highly considered but never really managed to fulfil expectations. He made 83 appearances. The same can be said about Paolo Pochesci who paired in the centre of defence with Perrone both at youth level and later in Serie B. He was a good man marker, a classic, strong, physical defender. He did fulfil his childhood dream of playing for Lazio but perhaps never reached his full potential. He played 82 games with three goals.

In those years they were helped and substituted by Arcadio Spinozzi and Giorgio Mastropasqua. Spinozzi is certainly a legend, maybe not so much for his quality, but because he epitomises that ruthless Italian man-to-man marking player. And he sure did it well. His career was marred by a number of injuries which limited the number of games he played. He stayed six years from 1980 to 1986 with 132 appearances and one goal. Mastropasqua was a modern “libero”. He was not one of those sweepers that defended behind the defence line, but he played ten metres further forward, almost at midfield. He had good technique and was unlucky to have joined Lazio at the wrong time.

Renato Miele took Pochesci’s place in 1983. He was a classic man-to-man marking central defender. He is 1.80 for 74 kilos and was a solid defender with good aerial skills. He will be remembered mainly as part of the 82-83 promotion team that got Lazio back up after two dismal years in Serie B.

Two further defenders arrived when Lazio came back to Serie A: Massimo Piscedda and Daniele Filisetti. Filisetti was a defender who could play both as full-back and centre-back. He is 1.82 and 75 kilos, so strong physically. He was a classic man-to-man marker and was surprisingly quick for his size. He made 80 appearances for Lazio. Piscedda came from the Lazio youth sector. He could play both as libero as well as left back. He was tried in the 1983-84 season but was not convincing so he was sent away on loan for a season. When he came back he was not included in the squad until the last three games of the season when due to a dramatic situation both on the pitch and as far as injuries were concerned, he was called back. Just in time to save Lazio from Serie C and then play the next three years which included the -9 season, a promotion and a last game to avoid relegation. He played 120 games for Lazio over six seasons.

For the -9 season we were introduced to a future legend: Angelo Gregucci. A splendid defender, tall, but also fast, great man to man marker, he also scored quite a lot of goals in his career. He immediately became a fixed player for the Lazio team, contributing enormously in both the -9 season and in the promotion the following year. The jump to Serie A was not a problem and he stayed with the Biancocelesti until 1993 when, much to the dismay of the fans, he was sold to Torino. He made 212 appearances with 13 goals.

In the -9 season Gregucci was partnered by Raimondo Marino. Marino was a central defender but he could also play at left and right full-back. He is 1.88 and 76 kilos. He was a strong and physical defender good at man to man marking. He could however also play the ball from the back and given his height was good in the air. He was at Lazio only three seasons but they were all important ones. He is one of the -9 heroes who saved the club from relegation. In his second year Lazio won promotion back to Serie A. In his third Lazio were back in the big time and he was captain, with the Biancocelesti experiencing the thrill of winning a local derby for the first time in ten years. He made 109 appearances with 7 goals.

Once Marino left in 1989, in came Cristiano Bergodi. He could play in all the defensive roles. He is 1.88 and 82 kilos, so strong physically. He was a solid man to man marker but with Giovanni Galeone and Zdenek Zeman he played in their zonal 4-3-3 formations. He was a hardworking player, a strong tackler and good in the air. At Lazio he fulfilled his childhood dream of playing for his club. He wore his heart on his sleeve and in derbies especially was a fan in a Lazio jersey. He played 185 games for the Biancocelesti with 4 goals, the late equalisers against Fiorentina and Milan are memorable.

The libero in the late 1980s and early 1990s was Roberto Soldà. He was a physically strong player not particularly quick but with an excellent sense of position. He would dictate the game from the back and often even push up to midfield to start the play from there. At Lazio he was the ideal player for the transitional period between the difficult years of Serie B, early years of Serie A and the increasingly competitive squads of the mid and late 90's (the year he left Lazio came 5th). He played a total of 93 games for the Biancocelesti.

1990s and the arrival of Sergio Cragnotti

Once Sergio Cragnotti took over the presidency in 1992, things changed. He was ambitious and hence the quality of the players improved considerably.

The first quality player must be Roberto Cravero. He was an excellent club player. He was a classic "libero" sweeper. He had good technique, was a superb tackler and had impeccable timing and sense of position. Despite not being a giant at 1.78 he had good aerial play, confirmed by his many goals from headers. He was a calm, collected player but with a certain authority about him, perfect captaincy material. He was also a reliable penalty taker usually sending the keeper the wrong way. He is remembered positively at Lazio as a solid, classy defender.

Paolo Negro arrived in 1993. Mainly a right-back, Sven-Goran Eriksson also used him in the centre of the defence with Alessandro Nesta and Sinisa Mihajlovic. He had speed, was a good man marker and a general defensive allrounder. In his 12 years at Lazio he played 377 games and scored 24 goals.

With the arrival of Zeman as manager, he brought with him his ideal defender, Jose Antonio Chamot. He was a great defender, fast, good sense of position, he could also play left back. He had a little bit of a temper and was a bit rough at times, so he also totaled 8 red cards in the four years he was at Lazio. Having said this, he was often sent off for last man fouls. In four seasons he made 131 appearances with 2 goals.

Sinisa Mihajlovic arrived in 1998, a precise request from Eriksson who had invented him as a central defender with Sampdoria. He was strong, had a great sense of position and was able to read the game like no other. What he lacked in defensive abilities, he made up for by being a playmaker who built Lazio’s game from the back. And he was brilliant on set pieces scoring a lot and providing assists in even greater quantities. He was immensely popular, fans rising to their feet every time he took a corner. He stayed six seasons with 193 appearances and 33 goals.

Source Lazio Wiki

Another mention for the 1990s is probably, along with Wilson, one of the best defenders all time at Lazio, and in the world. Alessandro Nesta was an incredible player, one of the best defenders in the history of football. He was nicknamed "La Tempesta Perfetta" (The Perfect Storm) as he was such a complete player. He was physically strong (1.87 for 80 kilos), athletic and fast. He had a great sense of position and was an impressive man-to-man marker, often using his anticipation skills to dispossess opponents, that failing he had his speed to fall back on. He was a superb tackler, specialising in the old sliding tackle, just like Wilson. He could block the opposition but was also able to play from the back as a defensive playmaker. Combined with all these attributes he was elegant, a joy to watch. At Lazio he made a total of 261 appearances (3 goals) and was captain for 4 seasons, he won; 1 Scudetto, the Coppa Italia twice, the Italian Supercoppa twice, 1 UEFA Cup winners Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cup. A legend.

In the year Mihajlovic arrived, in came Fernando Couto too. He arrived because in 1998 Ivan de la Peña specifically requested that his best friend also come to Lazio. De la Peña stayed one year, Couto seven. He was tough, made no friends with the opponents and partnered most of the players mentioned above. Ruthless, tough, splendid defender with excellent aerial abilities. At times he was not a regular, but he was always first choice if somebody was injured. He made 217 appearances with 12 goals.

If Nesta was the best in the world, a very close number two was Jaap Stam. Together with Mihajlovic and Couto, he terrorised opponents with his sheer size. Strong, powerful, fast, mean, he had all the qualities a defensive player needs. Loved by the fans, feared by opponents, his defence partners really enjoyed themselves. In a match against Ancona, Pietro Parente had the brilliant idea of trying to kick Stam after a tackle. The Dutchman got up and grabbed him by the throat. In the footage one can see the look of fear on the opponent's face. He arrived in 2001 and stayed three years making 94 appearances with four goals and winning a Coppa Italia.

The Lotito years

With the downfall of Cragnotti’s financial empire, Lazio were handed over to Claudio Lotito. There was the need to drastically cut costs so most of the big players left. In defence there was a revolution with the arrival of good, solid players, but certainly no new Nesta’s or Stam’s.

Sebastiano Siviglia was one of those signings made in one day in the final moments of the 2004-05 transfer session. He was good at man to man marking and was quick over short distances. At 1.82 he was good in the air and most of his goals came from headers. He played 183 games for Lazio and scored 10 goals. He won a Coppa Italia and an Italian Supercoppa at Lazio.

One of his partners was Emilson Cribari. At 1.87 and 79 kilos he was a strong defender and good in the air. His preference was to play in a three-man defence but he could also play on the left or right. He was quick for his height and an excellent man-to-man marker. The Lazio fans will also not forget him playing the Champions League preliminary with a protective mask due to a broken nose nor the fact that he played the return game without, against the doctor's orders.

Also, in those years there was Guillermo Stendardo. At 1.90 metres tall he was good in the air and most of his 20 career goals came from headers. He was not a technical player and was not particularly quick but what he lacked in those two areas he made up for in tenacity and hard work. With little natural talent you don't play 363 games without dedication, discipline and a strong desire to compete. Stendardo was a classic, rugged, strong defender who didn't make life easy for the opposing attackers.

In the subsequent years Lazio had the fortune to sign two of their best defenders of all time: Giuseppe Biava and André Dias. Both arrived in February 2010 in a rather desperate situation, both would go on to win the Coppa Italia derby of 2013 hence remaining in the history books.

Biava was an excellent defender. He was not particularly tall (1.80) but was nevertheless good in the air. He was an elegant and intelligent player. He was clean and precise, his main asset being his reading of the game and his timing. He was not flamboyant or showy, he played straight backed and was quick and accurate in his tackling. He scored goals too, 23 in 587 games, one an epic “Ibra like” scorpion acrobatic for Palermo in 2006. He was no superstar though, a quiet presence, he was rarely interviewed or in the headlines but he will always be one of the unsung heroes at Lazio.

Dias will be remembered as a quality defender, one of the best in recent history. At 1.84 for 80 kilos he was extremely strong and had an excellent sense of position. He was not particularly quick but had good timing and was a solid tackler. He commanded the defence with authority and paired up well with Biava. He made 131 appearances for Lazio with 6 goals, some of them vitally important.

And then they were three

In the mid-2010s Simone Inzaghi became Lazio manager. After attempts with the 4-4-2 and even 4-3-3, he began the 3-5-2 module which meant that there was an extra central defender.

There were quite a number of defenders used, with more or less fortune, but three stand out.

Stefan Radu was a left back who loved to play centrally but never made it until Lazio started playing with three in the back. At that point one could see how important he was because not only was he a good left back he was also good at defending. He had just one major flaw: he lacked those eyes in the back of the head that many good defenders have. But he is the player who has made more appearances for Lazio than any other in the history of the club: 427.

The next two are rather despised by the Lazio fans at the moment but they were both undoubtedly important and good. Stefan de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi.

De Vrij is a central defender and can play in a 3 or 4-man back line system. He is 1.89 and 80 kilos. He is a defensive leader and commands well. He can play the ball out from the back and has good positioning and precise short and long passes. He is above all a solid tackler, often anticipating his opponents. Unfortunately, his spell at Lazio ended in controversy as he refused to sign a new contract but instead signed a pre-contract with Inter for the following season. Fate then had it that the last decisive match of the season for a Champions League slot was Lazio vs Inter. His soon to be past against his future, not an easy psychological situation to be in. As it was, he gave away a penalty with a clumsy tackle and Inter went on to win in the dying minutes. A pity, he left the field in tears but the fact remained to the fans that he would be playing Champions League football and Lazio would not. They have never forgotten and it has overshadowed four years of solid, professional performances by the Dutchman. He played 188 games with 10 goals.

Francesco Acerbi took de Vrij’s place. Tall but fast, a solid defender with an excellent playing vision, good header of the ball, and initially an excellent relationship with the entire Lazio world. He even seemed to be an upgrade compared to de Vrij, but with the arrival of Maurizio Sarri, things went sour, he did not play as well, had problems with the fans and later left. He did play 173 games for Lazio with 10 goals and he is a very good defender, but with something lacking from a characterial point of view.

And today?

The two regular defenders of the 2020s (whom we hope will stay) are Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli.

Gila is a modern defender, good with his feet, fast, and tends to like to anticipate his opponent. He still has room for improvement, but he is destined for one of the great European clubs. Romagnoli is his perfect partner and has all the qualities Gila has, but with more experience. And most of all, he is a Lazio supporter!!!

Let’s hope they stay.