What a win
Lazio demolish Juventus in Turin with three goals in the first half
Also on this day: March 22, 2000, Chelsea Lazio 1-2. A fantastic Mihajlovic free kick gives Lazio the qualification to the Champions League quarter finals. Lazio Legend of the day: Sinisa Mihajlovic
The season so far
Lazio had been promoted to Serie A the previous season and the objective for the 1963-64 season was to stay in the first tier.
The manager was Juan Carlos Lorenzo and the main new players were midfielders Paolo Carosi, returning from his loan to Udinese, Massimo Giacomini (Genoa), Alberto Mari (Sambenedettese) and Bruno Mazzia (on loan from Juventus) plus forward Carlo Galli (Genoa). Leaving were Adelmo Eufemi (Udiense), Gianni Seghedoni (Vis Pesaro), Giambattista Moschino (Torino, end of loan), Paolo Bernasconi (Parma), Claudio Bizzarri (Civitanovese), Angelo Longoni (Vis Pesaro) and Dimitri Pinti (Parma).
The Biancocelesti started off pretty well and after 12 games were fifth after beating Mantova 2-0 at home. But then Lazio lost 7 consecutive games before drawing at home 0-0 against Spal and beating Milan away. They then lost two games away and drew the derby. Before the match against Modena at home, Lazio were in a deep crisis, full of problems and just two points above the relegation zone. But they managed to beat the Canarini and draw against Messina and were now 11th, three points above the relegation zone.
But today they had to face Juventus …
The match: Sunday, March 22 1964, Stadio Comunale, Turin
Juventus must have thought that this game was going to be easy and they began rather too comfortably. In the 2nd minute Giancarlo Morrone, completely unmarked on the left, sent a perfect cross into the box and Graziano Landoni beat Roberto Anzolin scoring his first goal in Serie A. A shock start for the Bianconeri who did not expect this. In the 17th minute their first sign of reaction but Adolfo Gori’s shot was wide.
Ten minutes later Lazio made it two. Vincenzo Gasperi stopped a Juve play and passed to Morrone. Ball to Landoni who crossed for Mario Maraschi. Marvellous volley, Juventus 0 Lazio 2.
Omar Sivori tried to reduce the deficit with a header in the 36th minute but Idilio Cei saved comfortably. He had a little more work to do on a Gianfranco Zigoni attempt a couple of minutes later. In the 41st minute, Maraschi was fouled in the box, but the referee gave a free kick just outside. The Lazio forward did not protest and took the free kick. Goal. But not for the ref who claimed that the Biancoceleste player had taken the free kick before he whistled. Maraschi picked up the ball but this time did not shoot, he passed it to Morrone who did and now the goal was valid. At the end of the first half Lazio were 3-0 up much to the surprise of the spectators.
In the second half Maraschi in the 52nd minute almost made it four with a long range shot and this was a sign for Juventus that the match was lost. The Bianconeri no longer attacked and Lazio controlled the rest of the game.
Marvellous win for the Biancocelesti. They would win 3-0 again in Turin against Juventus but in 1995!!!
Who played for Juventus
Anzolin, Gori, Sarti, Castano, Salvadore, Leoncini, Dell'Omodarme, Del Sol, Zigoni, Sivori, Menichelli
Manager: Monzeglio
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Lorenzo
Referee: Jonni
Goals: 2’ Landoni, 27’ Maraschi, 42’ Morrone
What happened next
After winning against Juventus, they won one more game (Bari) and then drew five consecutive matches (four of them goalless), taking them out of trouble. They finished 8th. Objective reached.
Pierluigi Pagni was the player with most appearances (35), Morrone and Mario Maraschi with the most goals (5).
The 1963-64 season had a strange ending for Italian football. At the end of the season Inter and Bologna were tied at the top of the table with 54 points each. It was the first and only time in Italian football history that there was a need for a playoff to determine who would win the scudetto. Bologna had had three points deducted during the course of the season due a doping scandal. But the Rossoblu were able to prove that the samples had been tampered with and so had been given back the deducted points.
The first and only scudetto playoff took place on June 7 1964. Bologna beat Inter 2-0.
Lazio 1963-64
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 21 |
Coppa Italia | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
Total | 5 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 21 |
Top five appearances
Players | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Pagni | 35 | 34 | 1 |
Landoni | 34 | 34 | - |
Cei | 32 | 32 | - |
Morrone | 32 | 31 | 1 |
Maraschi | 31 | 31 | - |
Zanetti | 31 | 30 | 1 |
Top goal scorers
Players | Serie A |
Morrone | 5 |
Maraschi | 5 |
Let's talk about Carlo Galli
Carlo Galli was born in Montecatini Terme on March 6 1931. After having played for Montecatini and Cascina in his early footballing years, in 1949 he met Giuseppe Viani, manager and former Lazio player. Viani got a job at Palermo and one of the first players he asked for was Galli. Viani transformed Galli into a powerful centre forward and on December 8, 1949, he debuted in Serie A and ten days later scored his first goal … against Lazio.
In 1951 the duo moved to Roma who had just been relegated in Serie B. Together with Lorenzo Bettini, Galli formed a new attacking partnership. Roma were promoted immediately and Galli was the top scorer with 13 goals. Viani at this point moved to Bologna but Galli stayed in Rome until 1956. In total he made 123 league appearances with the Giallorossi with 53 goals.
In 1956 Roma exchanged Galli for Gunnar Nordahl, so he reteamed with Viani at Milan. They would go on to win two scudetti, 1956-57 and 1958-59. He even scored five goals in one single match, a club record that still holds to this day. He obviously did it against Lazio …
In 1961 he moved to Udinese but after eight games he left to play for Genoa. He stayed there for two years, helping the Rossoblu to win the Serie B championship of 1961-62 and the Cup of the Alps in 1962. At the end of the 1962-63 season his contract expired, it was not renewed and he was without a team. He decided to quit.
In the summer of 1963 Lazio were looking for a new centre forward. They had purchased Eddie Firmani, a South African national with Italian passport who had played for Genoa, but he refused the transfer and signed for Charlton. He would become manager of the New York Cosmos in the 1970s. Orlando Rozzoni was seriously injured and manager Juan Carlo Lorenzo was forced to play with defender Gabriele Rambotti up front. Galli was on holiday, but he was approached by the club and due to the fact that his family lived in Rome he accepted.
He completely embraced the Lazio cause. He scored on his debut, against Milan, and he became the leader of the team. Sometimes he even played in defence. By Christmas, President Angelo Miceli proposed a longer contract without indicating a fee. Galli did not want a pay rise. He claimed that it was Lazio who had given him the possibility to get back to the life he loved, so he was in debt. He made 39 appearances with four goals.
Galli also has 13 caps for Italy with five goals. He played in the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, scoring a goal in the second match against Belgium.
Once he stopped playing, he became sporting director for Lazio until 1971. It was Galli who “discovered” Giorgio Chinaglia and brought him to Rome.
Galli was an excellent centre forward, great header of the ball with incredible timing. He could shoot with both feet and he was also famous for his acrobatics.
He died in Rome on November 6, 2022.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1963-64 | 23 (1) | 23 (1) | - |
1964-65 | 14 (3) | 14 (3) | - |
1965-66 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 39 (4) | 38 (4) | 1 |
Sources