January 5, 2013: Lazio -Cagliari 2-1
- Dag Jenkins
- 5 days ago
- 10 min read
Lazio leave it late but manage to carve out win
The Biancocelesti come from behind with controversial late penalty to keep up with frontrunners
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 4th (Europa League) under Edy Reja. The highlights were beating Roma 2-1 twice, Milan 2-0 and Inter 3-1. Top scorer was Miro Klose with 15 goals (12 in A).
The main novelty for Lazio this season was the arrival of Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic, an elegant polyglot of Bosnian origin. Apart from Petkovic, Lazio had signed Brazilian Ederson (free transfer) in midfield, plus defensive giant Michael Ciani (Bordeaux). Sergio Floccari, Mauro Zarate and Luis Pedro Cavanda returned from their loans.
Leaving were defenders Javier Garrido (Norwich City-on loan) and Guglielmo Stendardo (back to Atalanta where he had been playing on loan anyway).
So far in Serie A Lazio were doing well. They had played 18 games and had won 11 (including, Roma 3-2, Milan 3-2 and Inter 1-0, all at home), drawn 3 (including Juve 0-0 away) and lost 4 (including Catania 0-4 away). Lazio were currently joint 2nd, with Napoli on 36 points. Juventus were already eight points clear at the top.
In the Europa League the Biancocelesti had won the play off against Mura 05 from Slovenia by winning 5-1 on aggregate and reached the group stage. Lazio then drew 0-0 twice with Tottenham, beat Maribor twice and drew one and won one against Panathīnaikos. Lazio won the group ahead of Tottenham. Next up would be Borussia Mönchengladbach in the last 16 in February.
In Coppa Italia the Eagles had started in the last 16 and defeated Siena on penalties (after 1-1 draw and equalising in 95th minute). Next up would be Catania at home in three days’ time.
Today however Lazio wanted to continue their good league form after the Christmas break.
Cagliari had finished 15th the previous season. The manager was initially Massimo Ficcadenti but he had been replaced by former Lazio Davide Ballardini from the 12th fixture onwards. Their best results were possibly winning 2-1 in Rome against Roma and 4-2 at home plus drawing 1-1 away to Juventus. The Rossoblu had lost 0-3 at home to Lazio and 0-1 in Rome. The top scorer was Joaquín Larrivey with 10 goals in all competitions while only in A it was Mauricio Pinilla with 8.
This season the manager was originally Massimo Ficcadenti again but as the previous year he had already been replaced, this time after 6 matches by Ivo Pulga. The main new arrivals were defenders Luca Rossettini (Siena) and Danilo Avelar (Karpaty - Ukraine), midfielders Daniele Dessena (Sampdoria) and Federico Casarini (Bologna - on loan).
Leaving Sardinia were defender Michele Canini (Genoa, after 185 games) and Alessandro Agostini (Torino, after 298 games). In the autumn Larrivey had also left for Mexican club Atlante.
Cagliari were currently 17th on 16 points and only one point above the last relegation slot (Palermo on 15 points). The Sardinians had won 4 (Pulga's first 4), drawn 4 (including Inter 2-2 away) and lost 10 (including last five). The Rossoblu therefore had improved after the change of managers but were now struggling again.
In the Coppa Italia, Casteddu had beaten Spezia 2-1 at home, Pescara 4-2 at home but then lost 0-1 away to Juventus in the last 16.
Lazio were clear favourites tonight to continue their positive campaign, but Cagliari were desperate for points.
The match: Saturday, January 5, 2013, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A pleasant evening brought about 30,000 to the Olimpico for the first game of the year.
Lazio only had squad members Eddy Onazi and Ederson missing while Cagliari had to do without regular defender Davide Astori.
Cagliari had a very defensive approach and relied on solitary but speedy Víctor Ibarbo up front for their counterattacks.
Lazio attacked but their first big chance only came in the 17th minute. Hernanes blasted a freekick from about 30 metres out and it hit the crossbar.
On the subsequent counterattack Ibarbo and then Marco Sau set up Radja Nainggolan, but his first shot was superbly saved by Federico Marchetti and his second, an open goal chance on the rebound, was blocked by Andrè Dias on the goal line.
Lazio had difficulty creating chances. A couple fell to Miroslav Klose, on one the German brought the ball down well, went round keeper Michael Agazzi but then pulled his shot sightly wide.
On another, Agazzi got down well and saved a low cross goal attempt by Senad Lulic. At halftime the score was still 0-0.
The second half started with another woodwork for Lazio. On a Stefano Mauri corner, Dario Del Fabbro headed the ball onto his own post.
Lazio however continued to struggle despite dominating territorial and possession statistics.
In the 56th minute the Islanders changed Andrea Dossena for more offensive midfielder Andrea Cossu. They were soon rewarded as in the 62nd minute the Rossoblu went in front. Sau freed himself behind Lazio's midfield and from the edge of the box sent a clinically precise low shot past Marchetti, 0-1.
Lazio's tactical response was to take off Álvaro "Tata" Gonzalez and bring on Antonio Candreva.
Lazio pushed forward but continued to have problems threatening let alone breaking down the visitors’ defensive set-up. Candreva had a couple of opportunities but was off target.
In the 74th minute Petkovc threw on another forward, Sergio Floccari, for midfielder Cristian Ledesma and Michaël Ciani took Dias' place in defence. A minute later Nené came on for Sau for the Sardinians.
In the 79th minute an increasingly frantic Lazio managed to equalise. From a corner Giuseppe Biava headed down to an unmarked Abdoulay Konko who lunged forward and slid the ball in from close range, 1-1.
Lazio were transformed at least in spirit and went close again with Biava.
Four minutes after the leveller Lazio took the lead but not without controversy. Klose surged into the area; his lobbed shot went over the bar but just at the same time he was clobbered by Agazzi. For referee Orsato it was a penalty. It was also Agazzi's second yellow, so he was off. After long protests, another red to Sau for dissent and a substitution to allow reserve keeper Vlada Avramov to replace Ibarbo, everything was ready for the spot kick. Candreva took the responsibility and hit a medium height shot to the left of Avramov who went the right way but could not get to the ball, 2-1.
With only a few minutes to go and in 9 men, a demoralised Cagliari gave up. Lazio could celebrate a third consecutive win and continue their high-flying league campaign.
It had not been easy, and Lazio had not played well. They had suffered Cagliari's dynamism and defensive organisation, doubling and sometimes tripling their marking on Lazio's danger men.
An important win nonetheless. Lazio were still 2nd on 39 points with Napoli but now five points behind Juventus (defeated 1-2 at home by Sampdoria). They had also equalled the halfway points record set by Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio in the 1999-2000 Scudetto season.
Cagliari had battled hard and could understandably feel hard done by for the penalty decision. The Rossoblu were now 3rd bottom on 16 points, overtaken by Genoa who had beaten Bologna 2-0 at home. If the season ended today Casteddu would be down.
Who played for Lazio
Marchetti, Konko, Biava, Dias (74' Ciani), Radu, Ledesma (74' Floccari), Mauri, A.Gonzalez (62' Candreva), Hernanes, Lulic, Klose
Manager: Petkovic
Who played for Cagliari
Agazzi, Perico, Del Fabbro, Rossettini, Avelar, Dessena (56' Cossu) Conti, Ekdal, Nainggolan, Ibarbo (85' Avramov), Sau (75' Nenė)
Substitutes: Camilleri, Eriksson, Murru, T.Ribeiro
Manager: Pulga
Referee: Orsato
Goals: 62' Sau, 79' Konko, 86' Candreva (pen)
Red Cards: 32' Pulga (manager), 83' Agazzi and Cossu
What happened next
In Serie A Lazio continued their good form until late January. They won 1 (Atalanta 2-0) and drew 1 (Palermo 2-2 away) and were still joint second, only 5 points behind leaders Juventus. Then on January 26 the Biancocelesti lost 0-1 at home to bête noire Chievo and collapsed (losing 9 out of last 16 games). They ended up 7th and even got overtaken by Roma in the last game of the season. The second derby ended up 1-1 while top scorer was Miroslav Klose with 16 goals (15 in A).
In the Europa League Lazio then eliminated Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-3 and Stuttgart 5-1 on aggregate. Next, they played Fenerbahçe in the quarters and were beaten 1-3 on aggregate but not helped by a shocking Scottish referee in Istanbul.
Lazio were to find cup glory in the domestic cup. The Biancocelesti then eliminated Catania 3-0 at home and Juventus 3-2 on aggregate in a dramatic semifinal to qualify for a historic cup final against bitter city rivals A.S Roma.
On the 26th of May, Lazio triumphed 1-0 with a Senad Lulic goal in the 71st minute (one can still see the number graffitied around town). One of Lazio's most satisfying wins in their history.
An average season however became an epic one thanks to the derby win which will be remembered forever on both sides of the Tiber. The Serie A disappointments were forgotten, and Lazio fans partied all summer.
Cagliari's results then improved and they finished 11th. The Rossoblu then won 8 (including Roma 4-2 away, Inter 2-0 and Lazio 1-0 at home), drew 7 (including Juventus 1-1 away) and lost 4. The top scorer was Marco Sau with 12 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus (29th title), the Coppa Italia of course by Lazio and the Europa League by Chelsea. Relegation was the outcome for Pescara, Palermo and Siena.
Let's talk about Abdoulay Konko
Abdoulay Konko Faye was born in Marseille, on March 9, 1989. He is French of Senegalese and Moroccan origins.
He started his football at Martigues, near Marseille, in 2000. He then arrived in Italy at a very young age when he joined Genoa youth sector between 2000 and 2002. He then joined Juventus youth side in 2002. In Turin he played for the "Primavera" (U-19s) and in 2003 was often called up to the first squad but without ever making his debut.
In 2004 Juventus loaned Konko to Crotone in Serie B where he found a young manager Gian Piero Gasperini. He stayed two years in Calabria playing 74 games for the "Pitagorici" (The Pythagoreans) and scored 7 goals.
In 2006 he joined Siena in Serie A. He played 14 games and scored his first top flight goal against Messina.
In the summer of 2007 he joined Genoa who, already owning 50%, bought the other half too. With the Rossoblu he was reunited with manager Gasperini. Konko played 37 Serie A games with 2 goals (Inter, Palermo) and 2 in Coppa Italia. The "Grifone" (The Griffin) finished a respectable 10th.
In 2008 Konko went for the Spanish Liga experience joining Seville. He stayed in the Andalusian capital for two and a half seasons. He made 44 Liga appearances (3 goals), 9 in the Copa del Rey, 5 in the Champions League (1 goal versus Rangers Glasgow) and 9 in the UEFA/ Europa League. In Spain he won a Copa del Rey in 2010
In January 2011 Konko returned to Italy and Genoa. The Genoese club paid 6 million Euros and in his half season back with the "Vecchio Balordo" (The Old Fool) he played 13 league games. The Rossoblu under Davide Ballardini (Gasperini had been sacked after 10 games) finished 10th.
In the summer 2011 Konko joined Lazio for 5 million Euros and signed a 4-year contract. In his first year in Rome, he played under manager Edy Reja and Lazio finished 4th. Konko played 26 league games, 1 in Coppa Italia and 5 in the Europa League.
The following year Vladimir Petković arrived and Konko still got his 25 league games with 1 goal (Cagliari), 3 in Coppa Italia (including final) and 6 in the Europa League. Lazio had a mediocre season in Serie A but experienced the ultimate joy on May 26 when they beat eternal rivals Roma to lift the Coppa Italia.
The 2013-14 season was problematic with a change of manager after 17 matches (Petkovic to Reja). Konko played 21 league games, 2 in Coppa Italia and 3 in Europa League. Lazio finished 9th in Serie A.
The following year would be Konko's least active at Lazio. Under Stefano Pioli he fell behind in the pecking order and along with some injuries this meant he only got 2 league appearances and 3 in Coppa Italia. Lazio however had an excellent season and came third, qualifying for the Champions League. They also reached the Coppa Italia final but lost 2-1 to Juventus in extra time (with the sadly famous double post hit by Lazio's Djordjevic).
In his fifth and last year for Lazio, 2015-16, he played a little more regularly. Lazio again had some managerial turmoil changing from Pioli to Simone Inzaghi after 31 games. Konko played 18 times in Serie A, 2 in Coppa Italia and 9 in the Europa League. Lazio came 8th.
In 2016 Konko left the capital and joined Atalanta in Bergamo. Here he was reunited yet again with manager Gasperini. He played 10 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia scoring 1 goal (Juventus). Atalanta had a good season and came 4th. This was Konko's last team as he then retired at the relatively young age of 33.
Konko was eligible to play for three national teams: France, Senegal and Morocco but despite being called up by both African Federations he never played for either of them so as not to upset one of his parents.
Since retiring Konko has gone into coaching. In January 2021 he rejoined Genoa as manager of the U-17s. In January 2022 he briefly took over the first team between Andriy Shevchenko's sacking and the arrival of German Alexander Blessin. Konko's only game unfortunately coincided with a 6-0 defeat by Fiorentina. He then returned to the Genoa U-17's. In September 2022 he was enrolled in the UEFA Pro course for managers, the highest qualification for a manager.
At Lazio Konko has his place in history guaranteed. He will forever be remembered as part of the 2013 Coppa Italia winning team. The 26th of May is considered one of the high points of Lazio’s history and Konko was a protagonist playing the whole 95 minutes earning himself and that team eternal glory.
He played 126 games for Lazio (92 in Serie A) as right full-back. He was a reliable player, athletic and fast. He was good at pushing forward and possessed accurate crossing skills. On the downside he was injury prone and sometimes seemed to lack initiative settling for a solid, decent game rather than an excellent one. However, he had a good career on the light blue and white side of Rome and could have won more had Lazio not lost 3 finals (2 Supercoppa and 1 Coppa Italia- all against Juventus). For Lazio fans however the one that had to be won was won and Konko was there.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League |
2011-12 | 32 | 26 | 1 | 5 |
2012-13 | 34 (1) | 25 (1) | 3 | 6 |
2013-14 | 26 | 21 | 2 | 3 |
2014-15 | 5 | 2 | 3 | - |
2015-16 | 29 | 18 | 2 | 9 |
Total | 126 (1) | 92 (1) | 11 | 23 |
Sources
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