Signori’s 100th

Simon Basten
Feb 16, 2023
3 min read

Season 1996-97

Game 20, Serie A

Sunday, February 16, 1997

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Inter 2-2

Beppe Signori’s 100^th league goal for Lazio gives the Biancocelesti a deserved draw

In campionato, Lazio did not have a good start. After eight games they were 14th, just a couple of points above the relegation zone. But the situation improved and five games later they were only 2 points away from third place. In January Lazio beat Milan 3-0 and everybody thought they had recovered. But two home defeats in the next two games meant a further debacle. President Sergio Cragnotti sacked Zeman and called Dino Zoff to solve the season. Zoff was President of the club at the time, but he left the presidency and put his tracksuit back on.

In the first match under Zoff the previous week Lazio had won at Udine 3-2.

The match

First game as manager at the Olimpico since 1994 for Dino Zoff and it was an important one.

Lazio looked better on the pitch with a 4-4-2 especially the freedom given to Pavel Nedved on the left and Diego Fuser on the right seemed to make the team more balanced.

The Biancocelesti started strongly and after a big Nedved whack on a free kick, deflected by the wall, parried by Gianluca Pagliuca and an attempted shot by Nicola Berti saved by Luca Marchegiani, in the 25th minute Lazio scored. Nedved sent a cross from the left by-line to the centre outside the box. Fuser controlled the ball and with a volley made it 1-0. A great goal and his first this season.

Then two injuries forced Zoff to make substitutions. First Giorgio Venturin and then Gigi Casiraghi, in went Dario Marcolin and Igor Protti. In the interval Roy Hodgson took off Berti and put in Maurizio Ganz, moving Youri Djorkaeff behind the two forwards.

In the beginning of the second half Lazio lost a bit of steam and Inter took advantage thanks also to the new set up. First a Ganz shot forced Marchegiani to make a great save then in the 60th minute the Neroazzurri equalised. Djorkaeff took a free kick, Ganz tried to control the shot, the ball went up in the air, in came Zamorano who with a clinical shot beat Marchegiani.

Inter on the waves of enthusiasm made it two 120 seconds later. Ciriaco Sforza on the counter attack, splendid ball to Djorkaeff in between Alessandro Nesta and Alessandro Grandoni who with a great volley gave the Neroazzurri the lead.

Fuser tried a shot from far out which went too high and Djorkaeff again called Marchegiani to a save. These attempts were the prelude to Lazio’s equaliser. Roberto Baronio, who had just come in for Paul Okon, in the 72nd minute passed to Nedved on the edge of the box. The Czech saw Beppe Signori move towards the penalty box, ball to him, and the Biancoceleste captain chipped over Pagliuca for the 2-2. It was the 100th league goal for Signori with the Lazio jersey.

Signori even tried a header later on in the match on a José Chamot cross from the left, Pagliuca parried into corner. Djorkaeff and Zamorano had a few half chances towards the end but the match stayed on 2-2.

Good Lazio, perhaps without the injuries they could have even won it.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro, Nesta, Grandoni, Chamot, Fuser, Venturin (36' Marcolin), Okon (65' Baronio), Nedved, Casiraghi (43' Protti), Signori