June 12, 1988: Parma Lazio 1-1
- Simon Basten
- Jun 12
- 6 min read
Almost there
Lazio draw at Parma and need to win their last game to secure promotion
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had managed to avoid relegation to Serie C in a playoff with Campobasso and Taranto. They had been given an unjust 9-point docking, a very heavy burden with only two points for a victory, due to an alleged involvement in match fixing. Lazio did so well at the beginning that by early 1987 they were closer to promotion than relegation. Then the stress took its toll and the team collapsed physically and mentally. Before the last game of the season, Lazio were second from bottom on 31 points together with Taranto, on 32 there were Campobasso, Vicenza, Sambenedettese and Catania, with Modena on 33. With Cagliari already relegated, there were three places left. The last game was Lazio-Vicenza on June 21. With seven minutes to go, it was still 0-0. Gabriele Podavini got the ball and shot. It was more out of desperation than an actual goal scoring attempt. He miskicked it but the ball reached Giuliano Fiorini who turned on himself and scored.
Final verdict: Lazio, Campobasso and Taranto needed a playoff to determine who would join Cagliari, Catania and Vicenza in Serie C. In Naples on June 27 Lazio played their first game against Taranto and lost due to a goal in blatant offside. Then Taranto and Campobasso drew 1-1 on July 1. This meant that Lazio had to beat Campobasso to stay in Serie B. They did thanks to a Fabio Poli goal. The Biancocelesti were safe.
The new Presidency of the Calleri brothers with Renato Bocchi were obviously aiming for a return to Serie A in the 1987-88 season and certainly had this in mind when it came down to the summer transfer window. There was a revolution. Lazio said goodbye to goalkeepers Mario Ielpo and Giuliano Terraneo, defenders Ernesto Calisti and Daniele Filisetti, but in particular to Lazio legends Podavini, Fiorini and Poli. The new signings were experienced goalkeeper Silvano Martina and defender Paolo Beruatto both from Torino, Diego Maradona’s reserve Ciro Muro from Napoli, Gabriele Savino from Vicenza, Paolo Monelli from Fiorentina and Giuseppe Galderisi on loan from Milan. Only a year earlier Galderisi had played for Italy in the 1986 World Cup.
There was a lot of expectation, especially because the slots for promotion were increased to four as Serie A was going to expand the number of teams from 16 to 18, but Lazio started slowly. After the first 10 games Lazio were 12th, not too far away from the promotion zone, but still not in a good position. A couple of wins pushed them back up but then four consecutive draws, three of which goalless, did not give them the boost that was needed.
Then came the game at Taranto. Lazio were losing 3-1 after 35 minutes but goals from Savino and Muro in the second half allowed the Biancocelesti to draw. This was the turning point for the Biancocelesti. They started to climb up the table.
There were just two games left. Bologna were already in Serie A with 49 points, Lecce, on 46 needed just a point, Atalanta were on 45 and Lazio on 44, two points ahead of Catanzaro. A win today would mean Serie A especially if Catanzaro did not beat Atalanta.
The match: Sunday, June 12, 1988, Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma
This could have been the day all Lazio fans had been waiting for the past three years. Three very difficult seasons in Serie B. A disastrous first one with terrible financial problems resulted in narrowly avoiding relegation. A second started with a nine-point deduction and ended in a playoff.
There were 15,000 spectators present today, 10,000 were Biancoceleste fans who had arrived from all over Italy in the hope of a final triumph.
But in the first half both teams played it safe. It was also important not to lose, so strong man-to-man marking. Consequently, nothing happened.
At half time, Catanzaro were beating Atalanta, Messina and Lecce were still 0-0. Hence, Lecce were on 47 points, Lazio and Atalanta on 45, Catanzaro on 44.
In the 50th minute Antonio Rizzolo found a gap between three Parma defenders and put Lazio in the lead. And it could have been 2-0 in the 63rd minute when first Rizzolo and then Paolo Beruatto hit the crossbar off a corner kick. Parma were dangerous in the 78th minute when a defensive error gave Roberto Di Nicola a sitter which he missed.
Lazio were one point away from Serie A but in the 84th minute the hosts equalised. Daniele Pasa took a long throw-in, Davide Zanoni headed the ball towards the centre of the box and Di Nicola with a spectacular bicycle kick made it 1-1. Parma almost went ahead just before the end of the game when Marco Osio missed an easy chance.
It finished in a draw. Catanzaro won and were just a point behind the Biancocelesti and Atalanta while Lecce and Bologna were already in Serie A. One game to go, Lazio needed to beat Taranto at the Olimpico the following Sunday to secure promotion.
Who played for Parma
M. Ferrari, Gambaro, Apolloni, Fiorin, Minotti, Pullo, Turrini, Di Già (57' Pasa), A. Melli (59' Di Nicola), Zannoni, Osio
Substitutes: Bonati, Rivolta, Sala
Manager: Vitali
Who played for Lazio
Martina, Marino, Beruatto, Pin, Piscedda, Esposito, Savino, Acerbis (73’ Camolese), Rizzolo (89’ Brunetti), Caso, Monelli
Manager: Fascetti
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 50’ Rizzolo, 84’ Di Nicola
What happened next
Lazio-Taranto was the last game of the season. Bologna and Lecce were already promoted, Lazio and Atalanta had a one-point lead over Catanzaro. The other two matches of interest were Atalanta-Messina and Piacenza-Catanzaro. The Biancocelesti won 3-1 and secured promotion to Serie A. Finally.
Paolo Monelli was the player with most appearances this season (42) and the most goals (14).
Let’s talk about Antonio Rizzolo
Antonio Rizzolo was born in Orvieto (Umbria) on April 22, 1969.
He grew up at Lazio and played in all of the various youth teams. Thanks to his goals the Biancocelesti won the 1986-87 Primavera championship. He debuted in Serie B on March 22 1987 in the game lost against Catania. It was the legendary -9 season and he made five appearances. He was also on the bench for the famous games against Vicenza, when Giuliano Fiorini scored the winning goal seven minutes from the end saving Lazio from Serie C, and in the playoff against Campobasso when Fabio Poli scored the winning goal.
In 1987-88 he made 14 more appearances. The Biancocelesti had signed Paolo Monelli and Giuseppe Galderisi as forwards, but the latter went into a scoring drought and lost his place. Rizzolo was promoted and scored 3 goals in the last five games (Udinese, Brescia and Parma).
His career had taken off and in the first Serie A games of 1988-89 he was doing so well that pundits started speaking of Nazionale for him. He scored against Napoli and a brace at home vs Verona. But then he stopped. He was not helped by a relatively weak team but his contribution was minimal. At the end of the season he was sold to Pescara and for the rest of his career rarely stayed more than a season with a club. After Pescara he signed for Atalanta but played just one game before leaving for Padova. Then a year at Palermo, Lecce (on loan), two seasons back in Sicily, Reggiana, Ascoli, Ternana, Albacete in Spain, Avellino and later on Sestrese, Lecco, Pisa, Latina and finished his career with Cisco Roma and Monterotondo. Many Serie B clubs and later on Serie C to finish in Serie D.
He made one appearance for Italy U20s (one goal) and three with the U21s (one goal).
Once he stopped playing, he became a manager coaching Arezzo and Ascoli youth teams and was assistant to Angelo Gregucci at Alessandria and Salernitana. In 2019 he was manager of the Salernitana Primavera and in 2021-22 of Sampdoria under 18s. In December 2023 he became manager of Orvietana in Serie D.
Rizzolo looked as if he would be the Lazio centre forward for years, but it did not work out. The talent was there though.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1986-87 | 5 | - | 5 | - |
1987-88 | 15 (3) | | 14 (3) | 1 |
1988-89 | 30 (5) | 23 (3) | - | 5 (2) |
Total | 50 (8) | 23 (3) | 19 (3) | 6 (2) |
Sources
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