March 30, 2014: Lazio Parma 3-2

Simon Basten
Mar 30
6 min read

Updated: Apr 17

There is still hope

A last second Candreva goal keep Lazio’s European dream alive

Player of the day: Hélder Postiga

Also on this day:

March 30, 1980, Lazio Catanzaro 2-0. In one of the most dramatic games in Lazio’s history, D’Amico takes a team full of young players and guides them to a miracle win.
March 30, 2013, Lazio-Catania 2-1. Two late goals secure victory against Catania.

The season so far

Optimism was high at the start of the 2013-14 season thanks to the great victory in Coppa Italia against Roma on May 26, 2013. The celebrations lasted the whole summer and fans were over the moon.

The summer transfer window was not exactly eye opening, but two important signings were made: Lucas Biglia, Argentinian midfielder from Anderlecht, and Felipe Anderson, Brazilian forward that Lazio believed could be one of the best players the Biancocelesti had ever signed. Other minor signings were Etrit Berisha, goalkeeper, Diego Novaretti, defender and Brayan Perea, forward.

However, the real focus of the summer transfers was the missed deal to sign the Turkish forward Burak Yilmaz from Galatasaray. Lazio had already tried in 2012 but the negotiations collapsed at the last minute because the Turkish club wanted a very high percentage on the future sale of the player. The talks re-opened in 2013 and all was agreed. Yilmaz was in Rome waiting to sign the contract. But at the last minute of the last hour of the mercato, his agent asked for a €2 million commission to be paid on the signing of the contract and not spread over its length, as done normally. President Claudio Lotito refused to be blackmailed and the deal fell through.

The fans were furious. The anti-Lotito sentiment, which had faded after the historic win against Roma, came back with all of its venom. It would mar the entire season.

2013-14 had not started too well anyway as Lazio were thrashed in the Super Coppa by Juventus 4-0 with three goals in four minutes. The defence had been one of the strong points of the team, now it was a liability. At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were ninth, miles away from everything.

Lazio had also been kicked out of the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals by Napoli and the Europa League adventure saw Lazio go through to the knockout phase but they had then been eliminated by Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad.

Manager Vladimir Petković was unable to steer the Lazio ship in the right direction. Not only. He signed a contract to be the new Head Trainer of the Swiss national team at the end of his deal with Lazio in 2014. Lotito took this opportunity to sack him before Christmas and call back Edy Reja to try to get Lazio back on course.

The change seemed to solve things. Lazio were back and in the first six games under Reja came 12 points which included beating Inter and drawing against Roma. The Biancocelesti were currently eighth, one point from a possible European qualification.

The match: Sunday, March 30, 2014, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio had a problem in midfield since they were missing both Cristian Ledesma as well as Lucas Biglia so Lorik Cana and Eddy Onazi were the central midfielders.

After a deflected Cana shot had almost surprised the Parma keeper in the 4th minute, in the 15th minute the Biancocelesti went ahead. Abdoulay Konko on the right close to the by-line crossed into the middle and Senad Lulic was ready for the appointment.

At this point Parma took over the match. Splendid ball in the 25th minute from Antonio Cassano to Ezequiel Schelotto in the box, fantastic save into corner by Federico Marchetti. A minute later Cassano again, this time with a shot from outside the box which Marchetti parried, the ball arrived to Jonathan Biabiany who lobbed it over the keeper and headed it in for Parma’s equaliser.

The fireworks for this first half were over but there were certainly more to come in the second 45 minutes.

In the 54th minute another Cassano shot was well saved by Marchetti. Then Felipe Anderson was dispossessed by own teammate Lulic who ran all alone towards the Parma penalty area. A 2 against 1 opportunity but the Bosnian did not pass and tried a shot which was partly deflected and Antonio Mirante was able to save. At this point Edy Reja threw in Keita Balde for Cana and a minute later Lazio scored. Onazi to Lulic who saw Miro Klose move in the box, ball to him and there was no chance for Parma when it comes to these types of opportunities for the goal fisher. 2-1 for Lazio.

Parma attacked. In the 75th minute a Marco Parolo shot was only slightly wide and in the 81st they equalised. Biabiany crossed from the left towards the far right of the box, Mattia Cassani crossed into the middle for Cassano, Micheal Ciani anticipated the forward, the ball bounced back to Marchetti, went under his legs and into the net. An absurd goal.

Parma could have made it three with both Parolo and Raffaele Palladino who squandered very favourable opportunities. In the 93rd minute Keita on the left crossed into the middle and in came Antonio Candreva to give Lazio a very important three points.

Lazio could still have hopes for a European qualification.

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti, Konko, Biava, Novaretti (11’ Ciani), Radu, Cana (65’ Keita), Onazi, Candreva, Mauri (85’ Postiga), Lulic, Klose

Substitutes: Berisha, Strakosha, Cavanda, Minala, Felipe Anderson, Kakuta, Perea

Manager: Reja

Who played for Parma

Mirante, Cassani, Lucarelli, Felipe, Gobbi (79' Molinaro), Acquah (70' Munari), Marchionni, Parolo, Schelotto (68' Palladino), Cassano, Biabiany

Substitutes: Pavarini, Bajza, Rossini, Sall, Galloppa, Mauri, Obi, Jankovic, Cerri

Manager: Donadoni

Referee: Damato

Goals: 15’ Lulic, 26’ Biabiany, 67’ Klose, 81’ Ciani (og), 93’ Candreva

What happened next

Not even Reja could lead Lazio to a European Cup qualification. Two decisive draws, both 3-3, against Torino and Verona put an end to any hopes.

Too many celebrations and too many players not performing as well as they should made any type of comeback impossible. The anti-Lotito climate certainly did not help matters.

Antonio Candreva was the player with most appearances (44) and with the most goals (12).

Let's talk about Hélder Postiga

Hélder Postiga was born on August 2 1982 in Vila do Conde near Oporto. He started playing football with Varzim before moving to the Porto youth teams and playing with the B team. He debuted in the Portuguese first tier in 2001 becoming a first eleven player under José Mourinho. After winning the title in 2003 he signed for Tottenham but his year in the premiership was a huge disappointment. Having been centre forward of the Portuguese champions, a lot was expected but he only managed 2 goals in 24 appearances. The Daily Mail in 2009 placed him in 31st place as the worst strikers to have played in the Premier League.

In the summer of 2004 he went back to Porto scoring three goals, all in the last games of the season, in 34 appearances. After another unsuccessful half season, he was loaned to Saint Etienne in January 2006 where he scored a couple of goals in 17 appearances. Back at Porto for the 2006-07 season he played more regularly and scored more goals, 11 in 31 games. For the following season he rarely played and in January 2008 he was loaned to Panathinaikos. In June he left Porto and joined Sporting Lisbon where he played for three years with 111 appearances and 18 goals. In 2011 he moved to Real Zaragoza and did rather well with a personal record number of goals in 2012-13 which however did not allow the club to stay in the first tier. He then signed for Valencia but after six months was loaned to Lazio.

In Rome he got injured on his first day of training and it took a couple of months to see him play. In the end he made just five appearances, and we can safely say his performances were far from being even decent.

He then played a year for Deportivo La Coruña before a surprise move. In 2015 he signed for Atletico Kolkata in the Indian Super League but got injured in his first match and never played again that season. Back in Portugal in February 2016, he signed for Rio Ave and helped them reach a qualification to the Europa League. In August he went back to Kolkata, got injured in his second game, but returned and helped the club win the league title.

In his long career Postiga won quite a lot of titles: the Portuguese league twice with Porto (2002-03 and 2006-07), a national cup with Porto (2002-03), three Super Cups (Porto 2004 and 2006, Sporting Lisbon 2008), a UEFA Cup (Porto 2002-03) and an Intercontinental Cup (2004) plus an Indian Super League.

He also had a long career playing for Portugal, 71 caps with 27 goals. He played in the 2004 Euros where Portugal lost the final to Greece, the 2006 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals, Euro 2012 again losing in the semis and the World Cup of 2014.