June 18, 1960: Juventus Lazio 3-0, Coppa Italia
- Simon Basten
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Injury-Hit Lazio Fall to Juventus in Turin
Bernardini forced to improvise as Charles leads Bianconeri to convincing 3–0 win
The season so far
The beginning of the season was promising and Lazio in the first four games won 2 and drew two. But then a heavy defeat in the derby, 3-0, and a loss at home against Juventus in reality showed that the Biancocelesti were probably going to have a poor year. They also lost 5-0 at home to Fiorentina. At the end of the first half of the season Lazio had 16 points, four above the relegation zone.
The beginning of the second half of the campionato was even worse with six consecutive losses. Then a win at home against Napoli, a draw away to Atalanta and a win against Palermo at the Olimpico allowed Lazio to distance themselves from the bottom. With three games to go Lazio were 14th, one point ahead of Alessandria and two in front of Palermo. The Biancocelesti managed to win against Genoa away and Padova at home and avoid relegation in the penultimate match.
A very disappointing season. Lazio struggled to score goals, only 32, and some players, such as Humberto Tozzi, underperformed.
In the Coppa Italia Lazio started in the Round of 16 in November beating Palermo 2-1 with an Orlando Rozzoni brace after extra time
In the quarter final Lazio faced Bologna away and managed to win in extra time despite being in ten men.
They now had to face Juventus in the semi-final.
The match: Saturday, June 18, 1960, Stadio Comunale, Turin
Lazio arrived at the Stadio Comunale with a decimated squad and left with little more than the satisfaction of having fought bravely for twenty minutes. Up against newly crowned champions Juventus, the Biancocelesti were missing an extraordinary eleven players, forcing coach Fulvio Bernardini into emergency measures and the debut of two youngsters, Pierluigi Pagni and Roberto Moroni.
Juventus, by contrast, welcomed back their regular full-backs Bruno Garzena and Benito Sarti, and quickly settled into their rhythm. Lazio, however, opened with surprising composure. At the 12th minute, Giampiero Boniperti nearly struck for the home side, only for Lazio to respond moments later with a sharp counterattack that saw Oliviero Visentin miss the far post by inches.
A brilliant moment of individual skill from Omar Sivori on the quarter hour—dribbling past three men on the goal line—was extinguished by an alert intervention from Bob Lovati. Lazio threatened again in the 31st minute, when Clemente Mattei’s long-range attempt first struck Umberto Colombo and then forced Giuseppe Vavassori into a difficult save, pushing the ball behind for a corner.
Juventus finally broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute. A through ball from Sivori released John Charles, who was brought down in the box by Giacomo Del Gratta. The referee, Gambarotta, pointed to the spot, and penalty specialist Sergio Cervato converted with his usual precision. The celebration was muted, however, as Sivori pulled up with a groin strain during the action and had to leave the match.
Any hopes of a Lazio comeback evaporated seconds into the second half. Bruno Nicolè was challenged by Del Gratta, and the loose ball fell to Severino Lojodice, whose low shot struck debutant Moroni and deflected past Lovati for Juventus’ second goal.
The knockout blow arrived in the 55th minute. A long pass from Colombo found Charles, who unleashed a thunderous finish into the net, making it 3–0 and effectively ending the contest.
The final half hour produced few notable moments, though Charles delighted the home supporters with several powerful runs that showcased his strength and class. For Lazio, depleted and exhausted, the objective became damage control.
Juventus, clinical and composed, confirmed why they sit atop of Italian football, while Bernardini’s patched-together Lazio could only rue the absence of nearly an entire team.
Who played for Juventus
Manager: Parola
DT: Cesarini
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Bernardini
Referee: Gambarotta
Goals: 44' Cervato (rig), 46' Moroni (og), 55' Charles
What happened next
Lazio would go on to play the third place final in September (which they won against Torino).
Janich was the player with most appearances (36) and Rozzoni the top goal scorer (14).
Let’s talk about Roberto Moroni
Roberto Moroni was born in Fiumicino near Rome on April 30, 1940.
He began his football career with the Fiumicino club. At the age of sixteen, he went on a trial for Juventus. He successfully passed it, but later declined to sign for the club, preferring to return home. In 1958, he was signed by Lazio, initially playing for the club's junior team. He took part in Lazio's 1959 pre-season training camp in Abbadia San Salvatore.
He played only one official match in the Coppa Italia: a 3–0 defeat in Juventus–Lazio on June 18, 1960. The Biancocelesti had eleven missing players so coach Fulvio Bernardini was forced to send in reserves and youngsters. Lazio were brave, but could do very little against the might of the fresh Italian champions.
In 1961, he was transferred to Chieti in Serie C. In the 1962–63 season, he continued in Serie C with Rosignano Solvay; in 1963–64 with L'Aquila; and in 1964–65 with Tevere Roma. He then played for Frosinone Calcio during the 1965–66 and 1966–67 seasons.
He was subsequently employed by Assitalia and played for the insurance company's football team. Later, while continuing to work as an insurance agent for Assitalia, he spent six seasons with Fulgorcavi, first as a player, then as assistant coach to Eugenio Fascetti, and later as sporting director.
He subsequently coached Ostia Antica and the youth teams of Fiumicino.
Lazio Career
Season | Coppa Italia Appearances |
1959-60 | 1 |
Sources
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