June 17, 1976: Juventus - Lazio 1-1 (Primavera)

Dag Jenkins
2 days ago
6 min read

Lazio U19 Champions!!!

With a solid defensive display Lazio preserve first leg lead to win first historic Primavera Scudetto

Also on this day: June 17, 1983, Lazio Ajax 3-1 (Post Season Friendly). A Giordano hat-trick lights up promotion celebration

The season so far

In the regular season the Lazio Primavera had won 10, drawn 6 and lost 4. They thus qualified for the next phase which was a 4-team group with Roma, Bari and Sorrento. The Biancocelesti won the group by winning 4 (Sorrento home and away, Bari and Roma at home) and drawing 2 (Bari and Roma away).

This meant they qualified for the Scudetto final against Juventus who had won the northern section. The final was to be played over two legs. The first took place at the Stadio Olimpico on June 11 and in front of 15,000 fans Lazio had thumped the Bianconeri 4-1 with braces by Bruno Giordano and Ernesto Apuzzo.

Juventus had won the Scudetto twice before, in 1963 (the first edition) and 1972 while Lazio had never won it.

Today was the return game in Turin and Lazio took a healthy lead up to Piedmont.

The match: Thursday, June 17, 1976, Stadio Comunale, Turin

A fresh day in Turin brought about 3,000 spectators to the Comunale. The Juventus hierarchy was present with president Giampiero Boniperti, former player John Charles and manager Čestmír Vycpálek all in the stands.

Lazio were without star forward Bruno Giordano but today was more about defending their three-goal lead.

The first half was unspectacular and Lazio controlled Juventus' attacks without any particular problems. The Bianconeri attacked continuously but rarely threatened more than a few scrambles at the edge of the area.

The hosts only shot at goal came in the 44th minute when a Luigi Capuzzo freekick forced keeper Marco Cari into a difficult save. Halftime 0-0 and Lazio in control.

The second half followed the same pattern. Juventus pushing forward but contained well by Lazio’s midfield and then defence.

It was Lazio in the 55th minute who went closest with an Alberto Ferrari effort.

In the 64th minute the few remaining doubts over who would lift the title disappeared as Lazio scored. On a good Andrea Agostinelli cross from the right, full-back Massimo Colaprete timed his run perfectly and headed past Renato Carraro. 0-1 and 1-5 on aggregate to the Biancocelesti.

Juventus replaced Capuzzo with Gian Piero Gasperini in the 65th minute and four minutes later they recovered a slither of hope as they equalised.

In the 68th minute Dario Tosetti acrobatically turned in a low Vinicio Verza cross to beat Cari and levelled the score, 1-1.

The mountain to climb was however too high for the young zebras with only twenty minutes to go. Lazio continued to defend well but the game became tenser and more physical.

In the 74th minute Lazio were reduced to ten men when Roberto Sesena got a second yellow card and was off. The numerical equilibrium was re-established only six minutes later when Daniele Baroncini was sent off for a dirty foul on Giancarlo Ceccarelli.

As the game came to a close, tempers calmed and Lazio clinched the away draw without excessive difficulties.

The prestigious Primavera Scudetto was finally Lazio's.

Who played for Juventus

Carraro, Baroncini, Colombo, Pavanello, Busato, Serena, Dotto, Verza, Tosetti, Capuzzo (65' Gasperini), Marocchino

Manager: Grosso

Who played for Lazio

Cari, Tarallo, Colaprete, Ferrari, Sesena, Manfredonia, Montesi, Agostinelli, Apuzzo, Ceccarelli, De Stefanis (76' Marchetti)

Manager: Carosi

Referee: Allegrezza

Goals: 64' Colaprete, 68' Tosetti

Red Cards: 74' Sesena (L), 80' Baroncini

What happened next

Lazio have since won the U19s Scudetto four more times, in 1987, 1995, 2001 and 2013.

Several of the Lazio players went on to play for Lazio and have professional careers.

Bruno Giordano had already played for the first team that year but went on to play 254 games for Lazio, scoring 108 goals and would later win a Scudetto with Napoli playing with Diego Maradona.
Lionello Manfredonia played 234 games for Lazio, then Juventus and controversially Roma.
Maurizio Montesi played 30 league games for Lazio before a serious injury prematurely ended his career.
Andrea Agostinelli played 91 games for Lazio and then clubs such as Atalanta and Napoli. He then became a coach.
Massimo De Stefanis only played 4 league games for Lazio but had a decent career at Palermo, Perugia, Arezzo and Ancona.
Ernesto Apuzzo only played one league game for Lazio and then spent most of his career in 3rd tier football. He then became a coach.
Giancarlo Ceccarelli played one game in Coppa Italia for Lazio before leaving for Avellino where he won a historic promotion to Serie A.
The manager, former Lazio player Paolo Carosi, would have a spell in charge of Lazio's first team in 1983-84.

Juventus have since won the Scudetto twice, in 1994 and 2006.

Of today's squad a few players went on to make it at top level.

Domenico Marocchino played 99 league games for Juventus and won the Scudetto twice.
Gian Piero Gasperini played 9 cup games for Juventus before leaving for Palermo. He then became a coach and has been very successful with teams including Genoa, Inter, Palermo and especially Atalanta with whom he regularly played in the Champions League and in 2024 won the Europa League. He is now the new Roma manager.
Vinicio Verza played 41 league games for Juventus and won the Scudetto twice. He then played in A with Cesena, Milan, Verona and Como.

Let’s talk about Ernesto Apuzzo

Ernesto Apuzzo was born in Pimonte (Naples), on November 13, 1956.

His first professional club was Juventus Stabia (Castellammare di Stabia-Naples) in 1973-74. The Gialloblu were in Serie C but were relegated. Apuzzo played 14 league games.

In 1974 he joined Lazio and stayed two years playing for the Primavera (U19s). In 1976 the Biancocelesti won the Scudetto.

In 1976-77 he spent a season on loan at Como. The Lariani were in Serie B and finished 6th under Osvaldo Bagnoli. Apuzzo played 8 league games.

In 1977-78 he was back at Lazio. The manager was first Luís Vinicio and then Bob Lovati and Lazio finished 10th. Apuzzo played 1 league game (Lazio-Bologna on May 7, in a 0-1 defeat) and 2 in the Intertoto Cup.

In 1978 he moved on and joined Foggia in Serie B. The "Diavoli del Sud" ended up relegated under Brazilian Chinesinho. Apuzzo played 17 league games and scored 3 goals. His teammates included future Lazio legend Giuliano Fiorini (1985-87).

In 1979 Apuzzo had a brief spell with Sorrento in Serie C2 but after playing 3 league games moved to Benevento in C1. The Sanniti finished 14th with three different managers, Lamberto Leonardi, Nicola Chiricallo and then Graziano Landoni. Apuzzo played 28 league games with 3 goals.

In 1980-81 he spent the season with Teramo in C2. The Diavoli finished 5th, first under former Lazio, Paolo Ferrario (1960-61, 1961-62) and then Carlo Florimbi. Apuzzo played 23 league games with 5 goals.

The following season he was with Casoria (Naples) in C2. La Viola del Sud finished 9th and Apuzzo played 20 league games with 4 goals.

In 1982 he joined Matera and stayed two seasons. The Biancazzurri were in C2 and finished 8th and 12th. Apuzzo played 66 league games and scored 10 goals. His managers were Nicola Chiricallo, Vincenzo Antezza and Diego Giannattasio.

His last club was Sorrento where he stayed four seasons from 1984 to 1988. The Costieri were in C2 and finished 1st (promoted), 8th, 18th (relegated) and 5th. Apuzzo played 86 league games with13 goals. His managers were Carmine Tascone and Cané in the promotion year, then Cané for two seasons and finally, Lazio connection, Giuseppe Papadopulo in the last.

At 31 he retired.

He later became a coach. He started at amateur level in 1996-97 with Rossanese (Cosenza) and in 1997-98 Cirò Krimisa (Crotone). His career then took him to Battipagliese (1998-99, C1, sacked), Giorgione (1999-2000, C2, relegated), Turris (2000-01, C2, relegated), Messina (2001-02, B, assistant and in March 2002 head coach 2002 for one game in B, 14th), Siracusa (2003-04, D, 6th). From 2007 to 2009 he was in charge of Napoli's Primavera (U19s), with Lorenzo Insigne in the squad.

He then worked as a scout for Chievo Verona before coaching local amateur clubs in the Naples area such as San Vito Positano (Salerno) and working as technical director for Gladiator (Santa Maria Capua, Caserta). For a period, he also worked for CT10, Francesco Totti's scouting agency.

Apuzzo was a forward. Of average build, 1.81 for 76 kilos with a good left foot. After a promising start to his career, with the aforementioned brace in the U19s Scudetto final and spells in Serie B, he then spent most of it in 4th tier football. The main satisfaction apart from the Primavera title was promotion to C1 with Sorrento in 1985.