June 21, 1981: Taranto-Lazio 1-1

Dag Jenkins
Jun 21
8 min read

Heaven must wait

A depressing affair ends up 1-1 with both teams disappointed

Also on this day:

June 21, 1987, Lazio Vicenza 1-0. In a match that looked jinxed, Fiorini manages to score with 7 minutes to go and throws a lifeline to Lazio who now will have to face Taranto and Campobasso in a play off to avoid relegation.
June 21, 1958, Roma Lazio 2-3, Coppa Italia. A thrilling game rewards the Biancocelesti who edge nearer qualification to quarterfinals.

The season so far

The previous season Lazio had been relegated to Serie B, not on the field but in the Sports Justice Courts. Lazio paid for four of their players' alleged involvement in the Totonero match fixing scandal. Lazio were therefore in Serie B without Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Pino Wilson and Massimo Cacciatori.

The new manager was Ilario Castagner who had done well at Perugia. The Biancocelesti also had several new players to try and bounce straight back up to the top flight. Arriving were goalkeeper Maurizio Moscatelli (Pistoiese), defenders Giorgio Mastropasqua (Bologna), Arcadio Spinozzi (Bologna), midfielders Alberto Bigon (Milan), Giuseppe Greco (Torino), Dario Sanguin (Vicenza) and forward Stefano Chiodi (Milan).

Leaving were defender Mauro Tassotti (Milan), midfielders Vincenzo D'Amico (Torino-luckily he would be back), Antonio Lopez (Palermo), Vincenzo Zucchini (Vicenza) and forward Enrico Todesco (Genoa).

Lazio had promotion ambitions and had started well with 7 wins and 8 draws in the first 15 games but then slowed down. In the next 22 games the Biancocelesti won 6, drew 11 and lost 5.

Then a week earlier disaster had struck in the home game against Vicenza as with the score on 1-1, and in the last minute, Stefano Chiodi had missed a penalty thus virtually ending Lazio's promotion hopes.

The table read Milan 50, Genoa 46, Cesena 46, Lazio 45. With three promotion slots and only one game to play the situation looked grim. Genoa played Rimini at home while Cesena had Atalanta at home. Rimini were safe in mid-table but Atalanta were in the relegation places so should at least put up a fight.

In Coppa Italia, Lazio qualified for the quarter finals played in March. In August /September, Lazio had won 3 (Pescara 2-0 away, Varese 2-1 and Verona 3-0, both at home) and drawn 1 (Ascoli 0-0 away). They then played the quarter final against Bologna but lost 0-4 on aggregate (with one goal by future Lazio legend, Giuliano Fiorini).

A disappointed Lazio therefore travelled down to south-east Italy with still a mathematical chance of promotion but hopes were low.

Taranto had finished 16th the previous season and had only narrowly escaped relegation. The manager was first Adelmo Capelli (1-14) and then former Lazio player Gianni Seghedoni (15-38). Top scorer was Giovanni Quadri with 6 league goals.

This season the manager was Seghedoni to start (1-24) and then Umberto Pinardi (25-38). The Rossoblu had started with a 5-point docking due to the Calcio scommesse betting scandal and failed to repeat the previous year's escape trick and were already relegated. The Ionici were in 19th position on 29 points, after 10 wins (including Milan 3-0 at home), 14 draws (including Lazio 1-1 in Rome) and 13 defeats.

So, Lazio played for their remaining slender promotion dream and Taranto for pride and to remind people they were only going down because of the points deduction.

The match: Sunday, June 21, 1981, Stadio Erasmo Jacovone, Taranto

A hot and sticky day in the port and steel works town of Taranto with only about 6,000 fans present. The ones who had chosen the game over a day at the sea were in a belligerent mood too.

Lazio only had Stefano Chiodi out but by the manager's choice and otherwise fielded their best possible line-up.

Taranto were without goalkeeper Maurizio Rossi, defender Francesco Scoppa, midfielder Maurizio Raise and forwards Antonio Rondon and Massimo Barbuti.

The Rossoblu also had four Lazio connections in the squad. Two were absent, a young Angelo Gregucci who would later become a Lazio legend (1986-93 and 210 games) and Vincenzo Chiarenza whose next team would be Lazio. The Ionici also had Renzo Rossi on the bench, he had played for Lazio in 1976-77 and the manager was former player Umberto Pinardi (1956-59)

Few were expecting a lively affair in a game between two sides both melancholic and subdued for different reasons. The first goal however came after only two minutes when Giuseppe Pavone struck the ball well from the edge of the box after a poor clearance by Giorgio Mastropasqua. Taranto 1 Lazio 0.

The goal did nothing to pacify the crowd who would constantly throw objects onto the field for the whole match and refuse to give the ball back when it went into the stands.

Lazio showed no signs of life and Taranto had a chance to double their lead in the 10th minute but Pavone was just off target.

The Pavone show continued in the 22nd minute but Dario Marigo denied him with an excellent save. Lazio did nothing and halftime came with the locals deservedly in front 1-0.

The results from the other games were not encouraging. Genoa were winning 1-0 and Cesena 2-0 but in the second half Lazio improved slightly (it was difficult to get any worse).

In the 58th minute Renzo Garlaschelli had a goal disallowed as he had touched the ball with his hand at least once in the buildup.

In the 62nd minute the referee Menicucci awarded Lazio a generous penalty when Alberto Bigon collapsed between defenders Bruno Beatrice and Franco Falcetta. Filippo Citterio put away the spot kick, 1-1.

In the 69th minute former Lazio Renzo Rossi came on for Nicola Cassano.

In the 71st minute Lazio scored again. Citterio crossed into the area from the left and Garlaschelli charged in and into the net. A perfectly good goal which Menicucci nevertheless disallowed for a non-existent offside position. Mistakes and more mistakes for the referee who Lazio would unfortunately cross paths with again in future years.

The game then carried on without much happening as the players were more interested in skirting objects flying onto the field than going for a winner.

In the 90th minute Mauro Manzoni replaced Pietro Ghedin and the game and season petered out. Both sides trudged off the field unhappy while there was more crowd trouble in the streets after the game.

Lazio had failed to get promoted and Taranto were relegated. A game and day both would prefer to forget.

Who played for Taranto

Ciappi, Falcetta, Mucci, Beatrice, Dradi, Picano, Gori, Pavone, Mutti, Ferrante, Cassano (69' Rossi)

Substitutes: Naccarella, Intagliata, Fagni, Di Stefano

Manager: Pinardi

Who played for Lazio

Marigo, Spinozzi, Ghedin (90' Manzoni), Mastropasqua, Pochesci, Citterio, Sanguin, Bigon, Garlaschelli, Viola, Marronaro

Substitutes: Di Benedetto, Perrone, Greco, Albani

Manager: Castagner

Referee: Menicucci

Goals: 2' Pavone, 58' Citterio (pen)

What happened next

So Lazio finished 4th. A huge disappointment after being in the promotion battle all season. Top scorer was Alberto Bigon with 10 goals (9 in B). It would not be until 1982-83 that they won promotion to Serie A helped by the returns of Lionello Manfredonia and Bruno Giordano.

Taranto finished 18th but without the docking would have almost been mid-table. Top scorer was Bortolo Mutti with 9 league goals. The Rossoblu would return to Serie B again for the 1984-85 season.

Milan went up with Genoa and Cesena while Taranto went down with Atalanta, Monza and Vicenza.

Lets talk about Lorenzo Marronaro

Lorenzo Marronaro was born in Rome on January 16, 1961.

He came through the Lazio academy (with spells at UrbeTevere and Pistoiese) and joined the first team squad in 1980-81. Lazio were in Serie B as they had been penalised with relegation due to some of their players' alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse betting scandal.

The manager was Ilario Castagner and Lazio narrowly missed out on promotion finishing 4th. Marronaro played 12 league games.

In 1981-82 he joined Forlì on loan. The Galletti were in Serie C 1 and finished 11th, first under Bruno Mazzia and then Giancarlo Ansaloni. Marronaro played 25 league games and scored 7 goals. One of his teammates was former Lazio Paolo Ammoniaci (1975-79).

In 1982 Marronaro signed for Monza and stayed two seasons. The Brianzoli were in Serie B and finished 7th and 13th. The first year the managers were Franco Fontana (1-9) and Guido Mazzetti (10-38) while in the second it was Mazzetti (1-13) and then Alfredo Magni. Marronaro played 66 league games with 18 goals. His teammates included Lazio connections Claudio Ambu (1982-83), Marco Saltarelli (1982-83) and 2024-25 Lazio coach Marco Baroni.

In 1984 Marronaro signed for Bologna where he stayed six seasons. The Rossoblu were newly promoted to Serie B and finished 9th followed by 6th, 10th, 1st and promoted, 13th in A and 8th (UEFA Cup). Marronaro played 191 league games and scored 46 goals (21 in the promotion season and 7 in A). His managers were Pietro Santin and Bruno Pace (84-85), Carlo Mazzone (1985-86), Vincenzo Guerini and Giovan Battista Fabbri (1986-87), Luigi Maifredi (1987-90). His teammates included Lazio connections; Bruno Giordano (1975-85), Giuseppe Greco (1980-81) and Fabio Poli (1985-87) plus Italy World Champion Antonio Cabrini. In 1989 Bologna reached the final of the Mitropa Cup but were defeated 2-4 by Banik Ostrava (Czech Republic) and Marronaro was top scorer with 3 goals.

In 1990 Marronaro joined Udinese and stayed three seasons. The Friulani were in Serie B and finished 8th, 4th and promoted and 14th in A (safe after playoff against Brescia). He played 71 league games and scored 9 goals (all in B). His managers included Rino Marchesi, Pietro Fontana, Adriano Buffoni, Franco Scoglio, Adriano Fedele and Alberto Bigon. The squad included Lazio connections; Claudio Garella (1976-78) Francesco Dell'Anno (1984-86), Néstor Sensini (1999-2000) and Lazio hero Alessandro Calori.

Marronaro's last club was Empoli in 1993-94. The Azzurri were in Serie C1 and finished 17th, then avoiding relegation through a playoff. He played 8 league games with 1 goal. The managers were Ettore Donati (1-17), Adriano Lombardi (18-28) and finally Giuseppe Palazzese with future top manager Luciano Spalleti (29-34). His teammates included future top player Vincenzo Montella (Sampdoria and Roma) and then manager (Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan, Sevilla and Turkey amongst others).

At 33 Marronaro retired and is now a football agent. For some years after retiring he also played 5-a-side football winning a league title with Lazio Master Calcio in 1997.

He was a forward. He was relatively short at 1.73 metres and 73 kilos but was agile and very quick. He was nicknamed "Il Puffo" (Smurf) and "La freccia di Prima Porta" (The arrow from Prima Porta, the area of north Rome where he was from).

He had a good club career especially at Bologna where he won a promotion and played two seasons in Serie A culminating in a UEFA Cup qualification.

At Lazio he was very young and not given much of a chance. No doubt seeing him perform for Bologna many at Lazio later regretted letting him go so soon.