May 16, 1993: Lazio Ancona 5-0
- Lazio Stories
- May 16
- 7 min read
Welcome to the Gazza show
As Lazio get closer to a UEFA Cup qualification, Gascoigne steals the show
The season so far
The arrival of Sergio Cragnotti meant lots of money for the summer transfers. Four players from the Italy Under-21s that had been doing so well arrived (Beppe Favalli, Dario Marcolin, Mauro Bonomi, all from Cremonese, and Luca Luzardi from Brescia), plus Aron Winter (Ajax), Roberto Cravero (Torino), Diego Fuser (Milan) and Beppe Signori (Foggia) replacing Ruben Sosa who had decided not to renew his contract and had left for Inter. Furthermore, finally Paul Gascoigne had recovered from his injury. Leaving Lazio were Raffaele Sergio (Torino), captain Gabriele Pin (Parma), Claudio Vertova (Lecco) and Stefano Melchiori (Lecce).
There was great optimism, but Lazio had started slowly with four consecutive draws, with the first win coming in the fifth match thanks to a Signori hat-trick. Yes, Signori, the guy who replaced Ruben Sosa. The Uruguayan had been one of the Lazio stars, but Signori was better, faster, younger and hungrier. And he scored loads of goals.
Lazio played well, Gascoigne, despite some ups and downs, gave a good contribution to the team. His goal in the dying moments of his first derby was legendary.
In Coppa Italia Lazio reached the quarterfinals but were knocked out by Torino.
The squad was young but after 21 matches Lazio were joint fifth with Sampdoria one point behind Parma, 4th, and two from Juventus, third, in UEFA Cup qualification territory.
The match: Sunday, May 16, 1993, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Ancona could see exactly what afternoon it would be when after a few minutes Alessandro Nista was forced to parry into corner a great shot from Diego Fuser from out of the penalty area.
In the 6th minute Karl-Heinz Riedle missed an excellent opportunity following a marvellous play by Beppe Favalli and in the 16th minute it was Beppe Signori to shoot over the crossbar from a good position.
The visitors did try and almost went ahead when Lajos Detari’s volley on a Sean Sogliano cross was well saved by Nando Orsi. In the 22nd minute corner for Lazio, big header from Riedle, Nista saved. Three minutes later, same script, same Riedle header off a corner, same Nista save, but this time Roberto Cravero was in the right place at the right time and made it 1-0 for the Biancocelesti.
The home side slowed down the pace and Ancona were dangerous in the 33rd minute with a Milos Glonek header which went too high. But Lazio made it two in the 48th minute. Paul Gascoigne, wearing a protective mask, tried a pass which Sogliano intercepted but it became an assist for Fuser who raced towards the box and also due to a misunderstanding between Nista and Stefano Fontana on who was going to intervene, comfortably went passed them and deposited the ball in the back of the net.
Having secured the result, Lazio’s main objective was to get Signori to score. Great assist from Gazza, Signori dribbled past the Ancona keeper and from a difficult angle tried a shot, Glonek managed to save with the help of the post. After a Detari header well saved by Orsi, in the 71st minute Gascoigne got the ball in the Biancoceleste half and went off dribbling past players on the way. In front of the keeper he passed to Riedle who had not scored for a while and it was simple for the German to make it 3-0.
Gazza almost made it four with another progression but Nista denied him the goal. In the 89th minute Fuser to Signori on the left inside the box, big shot towards the far post, 4-0. A minute later Gascoigne for Signori, same position as before, 5-0.
Lazio raced towards a UEFA Cup qualification and if Gazza continued to play like this anything could happen.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Bacci, Favalli, Sclosa, Luzardi, Cravero (50' Marcolin), Fuser, Winter, Riedle, Gascoigne, Signori
Manager: Zoff
Who played for Ancona
Nista, Fontana, Sogliano, Pecoraro, Glonek, Bruniera, Lupo, Gadda, Agostini (46' Caccia), Detari, Vecchiola
Substitutes: Raponi, Centofanti, Ermini, Bertarelli
Manager: Guerini
Referee: Dinelli
Goals: 27' Cravero, 45' Fuser, 71' Riedle, 89' Signori, 90' Signori
What happened next
Lazio finally managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The last time they had played in Europe was in 1977. In the penultimate match a 4-3 victory against Napoli clinched the qualification.
Lazio had a great potential, but only sporadically fulfilled it. The fans began to be impatient with Dino Zoff’s football and Lazio’s chronic lack of a game plan beyond leaving the decisions on what to do on the pitch to the players.
Fortunately, Gascoigne, Thomas Doll, Winter, Signori and Riedle were of a high enough level to compensate.
Diego Fuser and Signori played the most matches of the season (38) and Signori had the most goals (32). He was the leading Serie A goal scorer with 26 goals. The last time a Lazio player won this trophy was Bruno Giordano back in 1978.
Dino Zoff was confirmed as manager for the next season.
Let’s talk about Roberto Cravero
Roberto Cravero was born in Venaria Reale (Turin), on January 3, 1964.
He grew up in the Torino youth sector. He made his first team debut at 18 on May 16, 1982. The following year, however, he made no appearances and so in the summer of 1983 he was loaned to Cesena in Serie B.
He played two seasons in Romagna and played 67 games with 5 goals. In 1985 he returned to Torino in Serie A.
In his first season back he made a total of 19 appearances (8 in Serie A, 5 in Coppa Italia and 2 in the UEFA Cup). From the 1986-87 season Cravero became first choice "libero" for the Granata under Gigi Radice and played 28 league games and scored 3 goals (Fiorentina, Udinese and a late equaliser in the derby), plus 6 in Coppa Italia and 8 in the Uefa Cup.
Over the next two seasons Cravero made 58 league appearances under Radice (plus a UEFA place play-off) and 18 in Coppa Italia. He scored 6 league goals (Verona, Inter, Cesena, Atalanta, Lazio, Napoli). Unfortunately Torino were relegated that year and Cravero, by then captain, followed Toro down to Serie B.
Torino came straight up again winning Serie B under Eugenio Fascetti, Cravero played 34 league games with 6 goals (Padova, Cagliari, Avellino, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Messina) and 1 game in Coppa Italia.
Back in Serie A in 1990-91, under Emiliano Mondonico, he played 30 league games with one goal (Pisa), plus 6 in Coppa Italia (1 goal vs Verona) and 1 game in the Mitropa Cup. The club had a good season finishing 5th (UEFA place) and winning the Mitropa Cup (European tournament for second division winners).
The next season, 1991-92 would be his last for now in Turin, but it was an excellent one. Torino came third in the league and were runners-up in the UEFA Cup, losing to Ajax on away goals in the final (Torino had knocked out Real Madrid in the Semis). Cravero made 24 league appearances with 1 goal (Bari), 4 in Coppa Italia and 10 in the great European run.
In the summer of 1992 he signed for Lazio for 7.5 billion Lire (approx 3.8 million Euros). Lazio’s new ambitious owner Cragnotti was trying to build a competitive team and Cravero was chosen as an experienced, reliable "libero". Other players arriving at the same time as Cravero included Paul Gascoigne, Aron Winter, Beppe Signori, Giuseppe Favalli and Diego Fuser.
In his first year at Lazio, under Dino Zoff, he played 30 Serie A games with 3 goals (Juventus, Parma, Ancona) plus 4 games in Coppa Italia. Lazio finished 5th and qualified for the UEFA Cup.
In 1993-94, again under manager Dino Zoff, he played 29 league games and scored 5 goals (Parma, Cagliari, Reggiana, Cremonese, Lecce), 1 game in Coppa Italia and 2 in the UEFA Cup with 2 goals (Lokomotiv Plovdiv, home and away). Lazio had a good season finishing 4th, so back into the UEFA Cup.
The following year 1994-95 saw the arrival of Zdenek Zeman, with new ideas and philosophy of play. Cravero played slightly less, making 23 league appearances with 2 goals (Inter, Fiorentina), 7 in Coppa Italia with 2 goals (Piacenza, home and away) and 7 in the UEFA Cup with 1 goal (Trabzonspor). Lazio had a very good season finishing second in Serie A (behind Juventus), reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup (went out on an unlucky night in Dortmund) and the semi-final of Coppa Italia (Juventus). This however was Cravero's last season with Lazio. He would make one more summer appearance in a Coppa Italia game before returning home to Torino.
He played three more seasons in Turin, the first in Serie A and the next two in Serie B. He made another 41 league appearances plus 3 in Coppa Italia. Unfortunately, he could not retire taking Torino back to Serie A as they lost the promotion play-off on penalties (Cravero scored his) against Perugia.
He retired after 301 competitive games for Torino, many as captain, and 18 goals. A club legend.
At Lazio he did not achieve the same status but was highly respected and had a good three seasons in Rome. He played a total of 104 games for the Biancocelesti and scored 15 goals (more than some of the strikers they have had).
At International level he participated in the European Championships of 1988 in the Italy squad but did not play any matches. He took part in the Italian Olympic team in Seoul 1988 and also played 12 games for Italy U21's.
Cravero was an excellent club player. He was a classic "libero" sweeper. He had good technique, was a superb tackler and had impeccable timing and sense of position. Despite not being a giant at 1.78 he had good aerial play, confirmed by his many goals from headers. He was a calm, collected player but with a certain authority about him, perfect captaincy material. He was also a reliable penalty taker usually sending the keeper the wrong way. He is remembered positively at Lazio as a solid, classy defender. He is associated with the beginning of the good times with owner Sergio Cragnotti and was part of the crazy "Gazza years" when Lazio were suddenly back on the world map.
After retiring Cravero worked as Torino team manager until 2000 and then as Torino sporting director between 2003-05. He now works in punditry and is one of the most important and respected technical commentators for DAZN.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
1992-93 | 34 (3) | 30 (3) | 4 | - |
1993-94 | 32 (7) | 29 (5) | 1 | 2 (2) |
1994-95 | 37 (5) | 23 (2) | 7 (2) | 7 (1) |
July-Sep 1995 | 1 | - | 1 | - |
Total | 104 (15) | 82 (10) | 13 (2) | 9 (3) |
Sources
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