Maurizio Moscatelli

Maurizio Moscatelli was born in Cesena, on March 26, 1955.

He started playing for his hometown club going through all the various age group sides.

In 1974 he was added to the first team squad in Serie A but before making his debut he left on loan to Piacenza in Serie C.

At Piacenza he was initially a reserve but then played regularly, making 17 league appearances and helping the Biancorossi to promotion to Serie B under Giovan Battista Fabbri. The following season he had some injury problems and played 6 league games while Piacenza finished 18th and relegated.

In 1976 Moscatelli joined Spezia on loan in Serie C. He was first choice keeper and played 37 league games under manager Nedo Sonetti. The Bianconeri finished 3rd. Moscatelli won the award of best Serie C goalkeeper of the year.

In 1977 he returned to his parent club Cesena, now in Serie B. He made his debut for the Seahorses, playing 11 league games, under Giuseppe Marchioro. The Romagnoli finished 8th. His teammates included Lazio legend Giancarlo Oddi.

In 1978-79 he was loaned to Pistoiese in Serie B. He stayed two seasons playing regularly. In the first season the Tuscans finished 5th while in the second they conquered a historic promotion to Serie A under Enzo Riccomini. Moscatelli played a total of 76 league games and in 1979/80 won the Guerin d'Oro for best Serie B goalkeeper. His teammates included Lazio legend Mario Frustalupi, former Lazio Sergio Borgo plus future top level managers Marcello Lippi and Francesco Guidolin.

Moscatelli was now a rated keeper and in 1980 he joined Lazio. He was considered an excellent signing for the Romans who had just been relegated to Serie B for some of their players' alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse match fixing scandal. He stayed three years, but things didn't go as everyone had hoped. In December 1980, in an away game at Monza, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and never really recovered. He was out for 14 months but then when he finally returned, he was behind Felice Pulici and Dario Marigo and then Fernando Orsi in the pecking order. Meanwhile Lazio narrowly missed out on promotion the first year under Ilario Castagner, had an awful second season and finally won promotion in the third. Moscatelli played a total of 21 league games for Lazio.

In 1983 with Lazio back in Serie A he was sold to Cavese in Serie B. He made 22 league appearances and the “Blifoncé” finished 19th and relegated, under three different managers: Maurizio Bruno, Umberto Pinardi and Oliviero Bugatti. The squad included Lazio connections Ernesto Calisti, Antonio Sciarpa, Raffaele Sergio and Claudio Vagheggi plus future top manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

He then returned to Pistoiese in Serie C1 but only played 4 league games and the Arancioni were relegated under three different managers: Mario Caciagli, Antonio Giammarinaro and Giuseppe Malavasi. The squad still included Sergio Borgo plus former Lazio Rinaldo Piraccini. Gasperini was also at Pistoiese.

In 1985-86 Moscatelli was at Ancona in Serie C1 but only played one league game. The manager was Bruno Pace and the Biancorossi finished 8th.

In 1986 he joined Vis Pesaro in Serie C2. He stayed two seasons and finally started playing regularly again, playing 93 league games. In the first season the “vissini” won promotion to C1 under Walter Nicololetti and in the second 8th. In the second season his teammates included future Lazio manager Delio Rossi.

Moscatelli's last club was Riccione in C2 in 1988-89. He only played 4 league games and the Biancazzurri were relegated.

He then retired at 34.

He became a goalkeeper coach and was involved with Cesena for many years both with the youth and the first team squads.

Moscatelli was a goalkeeper, he was tall but agile with great reflexes. His career obviously has a before and an after his injury. Before his injury he had a great future ahead of him, he had just won a promotion to Serie A with Pistoiese and was now playing with Lazio who had the objective of immediate promotion. Without his injury they may have achieved that objective (goalkeeper Aldo Nardin certainly lost them a few points) and who knows how Moscatelli's career would have evolved. Surely better than after his injury when he was never the same keeper again.

He played 125 games in Serie B and won two promotions (Pistoiese to A and Piacenza to B).

Lazio Career

Season	Total appearances	Serie B	Coppa Italia
1980-81	17	13	4
1981-82	5	5	-
1982-83	8	3	5
Total	30	21	9

Sources

Wikipedia