July 31, 2013: Nice Lazio 0-1
- Dag Jenkins
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Winning trip to Côte d'Azur
A Klose goal clinches friendly in Nice
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio finished 7th but had experienced the wild joy of winning the Coppa Italia beating city rivals Roma in the final.
The cup lifting manager had been confirmed but there had been some changes to the squad. The main arrivals in the summer were Albanian goalkeeper Etrit Berisha (Kalmar), young Brazilian attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson (Santos) and Argentine midfielder Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht).
There were more players leaving than arriving. It was goodbye to goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri (Genoa), defender Modibo Diakité (Sunderland), midfielders Pasquale Foggia (Dubai Club), Danilo Cataldi (Crotone-loan), strikers Libor Kozak (Aston Villa) and Mauro Zarate this time definitely (Vélez Sarsfield - end of contract ).
This was Lazio’s sixth pre-season friendly. The Biancocelesti had beaten Auronzo 11-0, Brazil Soccer Team 4-1, Top 11 Radio Club 103 8-0, Spezia 3-0 but had lost 0-1 to Siena on July 30, so the previous day. Two friendlies in two days plus travel didn't seem ideal but that was the plan.
Lazio had the Supercoppa against Juventus on August 18 while the league would start a week later on August 25 at home to Udinese.
Olympique Nice had finished 4th in Ligue 1 the previous season and qualified for the Europa League. The manager was Claude Puel and top scorer was Argentine Dário Cvitanich with 19 league goals.
This season Puel was still in charge. The main new players were: midfielders Nampalys Mendy (Monaco) and Mathieu Bodmer (PSG - via Saint-Étienne).
The French Ligue 1 would start on August 9 but the Eagles then also had a Europa League playoff against Apollòn Limassol on August 22 and 29.
The match: Wednesday, July 31, 2013, Stade Municipal du Ray, Nice
An 8 p.m kick-off on the Côte d'Azur and the temperature was bearable. It was one of the last games to be played at the Stade de Ray as in September the new 50,000-seater Allianz Arena was opening.
Lazio played with mainly regulars. The only potential first team players on the bench were Hernanes, Antonio Candreva and Álvaro González. Federico Marchetti was making his season debut after his Italy duties in the Confederations Cup.
Lazio midfielder Ederson received a warm welcome back in Nice where he had played three seasons. The home fans had also prepared a banner for him.
The French should have been fitter as their first league game was only a week away but it was not visible. Lazio used the wings well with Stefano Mauri and Abdoulay Konko on one side and Senad Lulic on the other. Nice pressed high but Lazio had two early chances with an Ederson header and then a Mauri effort.
In the 20th minute Lazio scored. Konko went past Amavi and put in a perfect cross for Miroslav Klose who headed past David Ospina. Nice 0 Lazio 1.
At this point the hosts increased the tempo and pushed for an equaliser. They forced a series of corners and had a powerful Cvitanovich shot deflected just over the bar by Diego Novaretti.
Lazio then scored again with Lucas Biglia but it was disallowed for a dubious offside position.
The half ended with an almost brawl after Cvitanich went in roughly and late on Lulic.
The French made two substitutions at half time while Lazio waited another ten minutes or so before beginning to make the customary numerous changes in these summer friendlies.
In the second half Lazio slowed the rhythm down and Nice had their biggest chance. On the counter attack Cvitanich found himself unmarked in the area but Marchetti pulled off an excellent save.
Soon after the Lazio keeper denied Amavi from scoring with a header.
Lazio meanwhile continued to link up well despite not creating any clear-cut chances.
The changes came frequently and in the 63rd minute Lazio put on Candreva and Hernanes, definitely two regular starters, for Konko and Cristian Ledesma.
In the 72nd minute replacing Biglia for Michaël Ciani meant Lazio passed to a three-man defence.
Apart from the replacements the game saw some late action when Luis Pedro Cavanda saved the possible equaliser on the goal line. Final score Nice 0 Lazio 1.
A comforting evening for Lazio after the bad defeat at Siena. Apart from the satisfaction of the win, the team had looked sharp, defended well and welcomed back several of the stars.
Who played for Nice
Ospina, Palun (46' Pejcinovic), Digard, Kołodziejczak, Amavi, Traore (65' Rafetraniaina), Mendy, Pied (65' Bosetti), Eysseric (46' Bruins), Cvitanich (77' Constant)
Manager: Puel
Who played for Lazio
Marchetti (58' Bizzarri), Konko (63' Candreva), Novaretti, Cana, Radu, Biglia (72' Ciani), Ledesma (63' Hernanes), Mauri (72' González), Ederson (46' Floccari), Lulic (84' Rozzi), Klose (57' Cavanda)
Manager: Petkovic
Referee: Castro
Goal: 20' Klose
What happened next
This season under Vladimir Petkovic did not start so positively and Lazio lost the Supercoppa final 4-0 against a vastly superior Juventus.
In Serie A the Biancocelesti had struggled too. On December 22 just before the Christmas break Petkovic was sacked and replaced by Edy Reja. The results were not great but there was also the fact that the Swiss had accepted to train his national team from June and so was not thought to be entirely concentrated on his Roman duties. The 1-4 away defeat at Verona accelerated his departure. Lazio were in 11th position on 20 points (6 above relegation zone and 11 from Europe) His legacy would however remain with the Coppa Italia triumph over city rivals Roma.
In January Hernanes left for Inter, Giuseppe Sculli went to Genoa on loan and Sergio Floccari to Sassuolo while forward Helder Postiga arrived on loan from Valencia.
Lazio then improved and finished 9th, only 4 points from Europe. Reja won 10 (including Inter 1-0 on debut), drew 6 (including derby 0-0) and lost 5.
In Coppa Italia Lazio had come into the competition on January 14 at home to Parma and won 2-1. Next came Napoli away on January 29 and Lazio went out losing 0-1.
In the Europa League, Lazio got through the first group phase. The Biancocelesti won 3 (Legia Warsaw 1-0 at home and 2-0 away, Apollon Limassol 2-1 at home) and drew 3 (Trabzonspor 3-3 away and 0-0 at home and Apollon Limassol 0-0 away). Next up were Bulgarians Ludogorec, in February home and away, in the round of 32 but Lazio lost 0-1 at home and then drew 3-3 away despite being 2-0 up and then 3-2 until two minutes from time. A disappointing exit.
All in all, a mediocre season.
Nice finished a poor 17th in Ligue. In the Coupe de France they went out in the last 16 and in the Coupe de la Ligue in the quarter finals. In the Europa League L'OGCN surprisingly crashed out to the Cypriots 1-2 on aggregate. Top scorer was again Cvitanich with 9 goals (8 in league).
Not a great season for the French Eagles either.
Let's talk about Antonio Manicone
Antonio Manicone was born in Milan on October 27, 1966.
He grew up in the Inter youth sector and won the Viareggio Cup in 1986 but his first professional club was Licata in C1 in 1986-87 (32 games 1 goal).
In 1987-88 he stayed in Sicily but joined Palermo in C2. The Rosanero won promotion under Giuseppe Caramanno. Manicone stayed on the following year and the Eagles finished 3rd in C1 under Giorgio Rumignani. He made 65 league appearances in the Sicilian capital and scored 4 goals.
In 1989 he moved to Foggia and stayed two seasons, both under Zdenek Zeman. The Satanelli finished 8th and 1st with promotion. He played 67 league games with the Rossoneri. His teammates included Lazio connections: Roberto Rambaudi, Francesco Fonte, Franco Mancini, Mauro Meluso and Beppe Signori.
In 1991-92 he played for Udinese in Serie B. He won another promotion as the Bianconeri finished 4th, first under Franco Scoglio and then Adriano Fedele. Manicone played 43 league games with 3 goals. His teammates included Francesco Dell'Anno, Lorenzo Marronaro and Alessandro Calori.
In 1992 he returned to Inter for two seasons. In the first the manager was Osvaldo Bagnoli and the Nerazzurri finished 2nd. In the second Bagnoli started but was then replaced by Giampiero Marini and Inter finished 13th but won the UEFA Cup (Salzburg 2-0 on aggregate). Manicone played a total of 67 games (51 in A) with 2 goals (Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund). The squad included former Lazio, Ruben Sosa and Dell'Anno.
In 1994 he joined Genoa on loan for a year. The Rossoblu were relegated after a playoff. They got through three managers: Scoglio, Giuseppe Marchioro and Claudio Maselli. Manicone played 27 games (25 in A) with 1 goal (Padova). The squad included Dario Marcolin.
In 1995 he returned to Inter. It was a difficult season, first under Ottavio Bianchi (1-4) then Luis Suárez (5-6) and finally Roy Hodgson and Inter finished 7th. Manicone played less, only 7 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia.
In 1996 he moved to Perugia for two seasons. In the first the Umbri were relegated to Serie B, first under Giovanni Galeone, then Mauro Amenta and finally Nevio Scala. The squad included future top coaches Max Allegri and Gennaro Gattuso. In the second season the Biancorossi bounced straight back up to Serie A after a playoff (Torino on penalties). Again, they had three different managers: Attilio Perotti, Alberto Bigon, Perotti again and finally Ilario Castagner. Manicone played 24 league games.
In January 1999 he joined Cosenza in Serie B. The "Lupi della Sila" finished 16th, under Giuliano Sonzogni, Walter De Vecchi, then Sonzogni again. Manicone played 17 league games. The squad included Lazio connections Giorgio Frezzolini, Christian Manfredini and Stefano Morrone.
In 1999-2000 he spent a season with Lecco in Serie C1. The Blucelesti finished 15th, first under Gianpaolo Rossi and then Carlo Muraro and avoided relegation after a playoff. Manicone played 36 league games.
Manicone's last club was Pro Patria where he stayed three seasons. In the first the "Tigrotti" finished 2nd in C2, in the second won promotion and in the third finished 11th in C1. Manicone played 70 league games with 1 goal. His managers were Gianfranco Motta and Carlo Muraro.
At almost 36 he retired. He had a good club career and in 1993 even won his one and only Italy cap in a 3-0 away win in Estonia in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers.
Manicone was a defensive midfielder. The classic dynamic and relentless "water carrier" of midfield.
His career in football then continued with coaching. He started at Inter as assistant to the U19s, then head coach for the U16s, assistant for U19s again and assistant of the U19s (3rd tier).
In 2012 he arrived at Lazio as Vladimir Petkovic' assistant. The Biancocelesti finished 7th but triumphed in the Coppa Italia beating arch city rivals Roma 1-0 on the epic 26th May. The following year he left when Petkovic was replaced by Edy Reja in late December.
Manicone however followed Petkovic in his next job as Switzerland head coach and stayed seven years. The Swiss reached the last 16 in Euro 2016 (out to Poland on penalties), the quarter finals of Euro 2020 (Spain on penalties) and the last 16 in the 2018 World Cup in Russia (Sweden 0-1)
In 2021 he followed Petkovic to Bordeaux in Ligue 1 but it did not work out and they were replaced after 24 games and the Girondins were eventually relegated.
Since 2023 Manicone has been assistant to Amir Ghalenoei in charge of the Iranian national team.
Manicone's connection with Lazio will always be for his role on May 26, 2013. He was on the bench as assistant on what was one of the best days in Lazio history.
Sources
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