June 26, 1976: Lazio Genoa 1-0, Coppa Italia
- Simon Basten
- Jun 26
- 7 min read
Maestrelli’s final game as manager
Lazio beat Genoa in Coppa Italia in what will be Maestrelli’s final match on the bench
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived fourth. The team was deeply affected by their manager’s illness. Tommaso Maestrelli had cancer so he could not lead the Biancocelesti for the 1975-76 season. President Umberto Lenzini had waited until the last possible moment, and then he was forced to look elsewhere. The new manager was Giulio Corsini, a young trainer who had done well with Atalanta.
Corsini’s idea was to get rid of some of the players that had been the backbone of the scudetto team. So goodbye Mario Frustalupi and Giancarlo Oddi, who were sold to Cesena in exchange for Paolo Ammoniaci and Francesco Brignani, plus Franco Nanni, sold to Bologna. The other signing of any significance was Antonio Lopez from Pescara.
Giorgio Chinaglia was a problem.
Long John’s family had been forced to return to the US following threats by Roma supporters. Chinaglia really missed his family so in the summer he went to the States. While he was there he was invited to play a game for the Hartford Bicentennials against Poland. His participation was a media event and Chinaglia felt very important.
Pele joined the New York Cosmos and Chinaglia was invited to see the Brazilian champion’s first game with the club. While he was there he asked if Cosmos would want to sign him too. He really missed his family and he felt that life without them, the current difficult situation in Italy, plus Maestrelli’s illness were a sign that his Lazio adventure was over. Lenzini refused any negotiations and threatened Chinaglia with fines and suspension. Long John was forced to come back to Rome but when he arrived he saw that some of his teammates had been sold and that the new manager wanted to rule. Chinaglia demanded to play in Coppa Italia as soon as he returned, the manager said no. War had begun.
In Coppa Italia Lazio did rather well, qualifying for the second phase, which would be played at the end of the campionato. They won their two matches at home and drew the two away games.
In the UEFA Cup Lazio faced Chernomorets Odessa in the first round. After losing 1-0 away in the first leg, Lazio managed to take the tie to extra time thanks to a Chinaglia penalty with one minute to go. Long John then scored another two goals and the Biancocelesti went through. In the next round, Lazio were drawn against Johan Cruijff’s Barcelona. A few weeks before the first leg, General Francisco Franco had ordered a few dissidents shot and this had created great indignation in Italy. There was strong pressure from Italian politicians on Lazio to refuse to play against the Spanish team. Lenzini did what he could to get the game played, but in the end gave up. As a consequence UEFA gave the victory to the Spaniards 3-0. The return game was pointless and the Biancocelesti, packed with reserves, lost 4-0. The stupidity of the decision was blatant: Barcelona had always been against Franco.
Lenzini had then granted Chinaglia the possibility of going to the US once a month to see his family. Corsini did not agree and told the Lazio centre forward that “until I am the Lazio manager you will never be going to the States”. The situation reached its pinnacle in the interval of the first derby of the season. Chinaglia and Corsini clashed, the old Lazio guard was with their leader and all hell broke loose. Long John scored Lazio’s equaliser and that night flew to the US. The following Sunday Lazio lost and Corsini was sacked. Lazio were 13th, in the relegation zone with just 5 points.
Tommaso Maestrelli was feeling much better and had returned almost to a normal life. Lenzini offered him his job back and the Maestro accepted. But there were problems. Lazio did not have a playmaker since Frustalupi had been sold. Lots of runners, but nobody to feed the ball to the forwards.
With four games to the end of the season Lazio were third from bottom, one point behind Sampdoria and Ascoli. Three teams went down (two points for victory). The Biancocelesti had to play against Torino who were Serie A leaders. Lazio scored in the second half but an unfortunate own goal with 60 seconds to go gave Torino the equaliser. With three games left, Cagliari were doomed on 15 points, Como had 18, Lazio and Sampdoria 20, Ascoli 21 and Verona 22.
The Torino game was Chinaglia’s last ever for Lazio. He left that evening to join New York Cosmos. His last goal had been against Ascoli on March 21.
Lazio lost the next match 4-3 in Florence. So now Como and Lazio were on 20, Ascoli 21, Verona and Sampdoria 22. Lazio needed to beat AC Milan in the last game at home and they did. Not only, they literally destroyed them, scored four goals and could have scored many more.
Como had 20 points, Lazio, Sampdoria and Ascoli 22, Verona 23. Last match at Como. After 17 minutes the Biancocelesti were 2-0 down but then Giordano managed to pull one back. At the end of the first half the situation was Lazio and Como on 22 points, Ascoli, who were winning against Roma, on 24, Sampdoria, who were 1-0 up against Napoli, also on 24, as were Verona who were losing in Florence.
In the second half, Roberto Badiani equalised and the Biancocelesti managed to bring back the necessary point that allowed them to reach safety. Lazio and Ascoli were on 23 points but the Biancocelesti had a better goal difference so it was Ascoli who joined Como and Cagliari in Serie B.
Now the Biancocelesti had to play the second group phase of the Coppa Italia. They were paired with Verona, Inter and Genoa. The team that topped the group would play the final.
They were currently on 5 points with Inter on 8 and Verona on six so no chance of reaching the final. They had won 2 (Inter 1-0 and Genoa away 3-0), drawn one (with Verona at home) and lost two (away to Verona and Inter). Today was the final game, at home with Genoa.
The match: Saturday, June 26, 1976, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Despite the very few spectators, Lazio and Genoa started the game at a high pace. The ball went from one box to the other. The visitors went close to scoring early when Francesco Rizzo passed to Paolo Mariani who unmarked in front of Felice Pulici could not do better than shoot at the keeper. The scare got the Biancocelesti moving and in the 36th minute they scored. Luciano Re Cecconi with a massive whack from 25 metres beat the Genoa keeper who had his view partially covered by Francesco Ciampoli.
One would have thought that the fireworks would continue but they stopped as the two teams started to seriously think about the upcoming holidays. Only Rizzo did anything as the Lazio midfield put the game to sleep.
In the second half there were only two things to note. A penalty which Giovanni Carlo Ferrari missed shooting at the keeper and an impressive shot from Bruno Giordano in the 63rd minute which hit the woodwork.
This was Tommaso Maestrelli’s last game on the bench. He would now be sporting director with Luís Vinício as new manager.
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Ghedin, Martini, Wilson, Polentes, Badiani, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi (81’ Masuzzo), Ferrari, Lopez (61’ Brignani), Giordano
Substitutes: Moriggi, Di Chiara, Manfredonia
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Genoa
Lonardi, Rossetti, Ciampoli, A. Favaro, Rosato, Croci, Arcoleo, Catania, P. Mariani, Rizzo, Chiappara
Substitutes: Girardi, Favari, Basso, Torre, Campidonico
Manager: Simoni
Referee: Tonolini
Goal: 36’ Re Cecconi
What happened next
We mentioned that Frustalupi and Oddi had been sold to Cesena in the summer of 1975. Lazio, however, still owed them some money. Furthermore, in the home match, the Cesena goalkeeper Lamberto Boranga had had his car damaged by some Lazio fans (in 1971 Boranga had feigned being hit by Chinaglia during a game and Long John had been sent off) and Lazio had promised to reimburse him. So, when Lazio went to Cesena in April 1976, the club took the opportunity to pay off their debts.
CORRUPTION!!!! Lazio have bribed the Cesena players!!! There was an enquiry and nothing happened but the club and tifosi had to wait until the end of July to be certain.
Let's talk about Domenico Masuzzo
Domenico Masuzzo was born in Ancona on May 3, 1953. He started playing football for Anconitana in Serie C and in 1970-71 joined Lazio.
He played for the reserves team and won the scudetto in 1971.
He then signed for Salernitana in Serie C where he made 22 league appearances with one goal and in the following season was at Civitavecchia in Serie D where he made 23 appearances.
In 1974-75 he returned to Lazio but in two seasons he made just one appearance for nine minutes in the Coppa Italian game against Genoa.
He was then sold to Nocerina in Serie C (18 games played) and then went on to play for Vigor Senigalia and Rieti.
Masuzzo was a great friend of Vincenzo D’Amico.
Lazio Career
Source
Comments