Comedy of refereeing errors

Simon Basten
Jan 28, 2024
3 min read

Season 1972-73

Game 16, Serie A

Sunday, January 28, 1973

Stadio San Siro, Milan

Inter Lazio 1-1

Disastrous refereeing culminating in a punched goal

Lazio were surprisingly third in the company of Inter (who had one game in hand), just one point behind Milan and Juventus.

The match

Lazio began at a high tempo. Between the second and third minutes Luigi Martini and Mario Frustalupi both had shots; in the fourth minute Giacinto Facchetti deflected a very dangerous cross from Luciano Re Cecconi; by the seventh minute Lazio could already have scored. From a pass by Frustalupi and Franco Nanni, Giorgio Chinaglia—clearly in excellent form—took advantage of Mario Bellugi’s miscontrol and lifted the ball onto the crossbar, leaving Lido Vieri beaten. It was a difficult chance but one that revealed the nature of this Lazio side: quick in possession, direct, and capable of creating openings both through support play and through forward runs.

Inter were badly exposed down the left. Mario Corso was repeatedly beaten and unable to keep up with the pace. Sandro Mazzola worked tirelessly to organize and create, but the rest of the team struggled to find ideas. Roberto Boninsegna fought between Giancarlo Oddi and Pino Wilson without ever being properly supplied, while Re Cecconi controlled the game in both midfield and support roles.

Lazio continued to threaten, with two more shots saved low by Vieri from Chinaglia and Re Cecconi. After several hard fouls by Martini on Mazzola, the match entered a controversial phase. In the 24th minute, Sandrino set up Boninsegna, who was about to play a one-two with Giuseppe Massa, when he was clearly fouled by Oddi and Wilson inside the area. It was an obvious penalty, but the referee, Giunti, failed to intervene.

A minute later, Pierpaolo Manservisi was sent into the Inter penalty area by a long ball, and Gabriele Oriali handled it. This time a penalty was given, and Chinaglia scored with a powerful right-footed shot past Vieri. Lazio took the lead, forcing Inter to push forward. In the 27th minute Corso entered the Lazio area and was tripped from behind; even if the fall may have been exaggerated, it was still a foul, but once again the referee waved play on.

Lazio’s approach play remained composed and effective. Chinaglia tested Vieri again in the 35th minute with a well-struck diagonal shot. Lazio looked comfortable, while Inter appeared to be reaching the limits of their reaction built more on experience than dominance. Two late Inter free kicks caused minor concern for Felice Pulici, but they produced no real danger before the break.

After halftime, Mazzola led Inter’s response with renewed energy. In the 50th minute Lazio appeared to handle the ball in their own area; a minute later Boninsegna was pushed from behind, again inside the box. The home crowd grew increasingly frustrated by the referee’s decisions. Massa missed a clear chance in the 55th minute after a pass from Mazzola, then Mazzola himself shot instead of passing to a free Boninsegna.

Inter equalised in the 60th minute. Oriali sent a long, high ball into the area from a distance. In the confusion that followed, with several players close to offside and jostling for position, Boninsegna stretched out and punched the ball behind Pulici. The ref did not see, the linesmen neither, the score was 1–1, and the game settled.

There were few clear chances after that. Chinaglia played an excellent pass to Luigi Martini on the right in the 65th minute, but the Lazio defender failed to make the most of the opportunity. Pulici later tipped a dangerous Corso header over the bar and in the 77th minute Boninsegna struck a powerful left-footed shot from a tight angle that hit the outside of the net. Burgnich made two important clearances to stop Lazio counterattacks, and the match ended without further incident.

The Biancocelesti really showed that they deserved to be up there with the best and were certainly to be considered scudetto contenders.

Who played for Inter

Vieri L., Oriali, Facchetti G., Bedin, Bellugi, Burgnich, Massa, Mazzola, Boninsegna, Bertini M. (dal 20' Moro A.), Corso