May 17, 1981: Pisa-Lazio 1-1
- Dag Jenkins
- May 17
- 9 min read
Citterio straightens things out in Pisa
A goal by the Lazio defender five minutes from time gives the Romans a useful point
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had been relegated to Serie B, not on the field but in the Sports Justice Courts. Lazio paid for four of their players' alleged involvement in the Totonero match fixing scandal. Lazio were therefore in Serie B without Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Pino Wilson and Massimo Cacciatori.
The new manager was Ilario Castagner who had done well at Perugia. The Biancocelesti also had several new players to try and bounce straight back up to the top flight. Arriving were goalkeeper Maurizio Moscatelli (Pistoiese), defenders Giorgio Mastropasqua (Bologna), Arcadio Spinozzi (Bologna), midfielders Alberto Bigon (Milan), Giuseppe Greco (Torino), Dario Sanguin (Vicenza) and forward Stefano Chiodi (Milan).
Leaving were defender Mauro Tassotti (Milan), midfielders Vincenzo D'Amico (Torino-luckily he would be back), Antonio Lopez (Palermo), Vincenzo Zucchini (Vicenza) and forward Enrico Todesco (Genoa).
Lazio had promotion ambitions and had started well with 7 wins and 8 draws in the first 15 games but then slowed down. In the next 17 games the Biancocelesti had won 5 (including the recent 2-0 home win against Monza), drawn 8 and lost 4. Lazio were currently 3rd on 40 points, two points ahead of 4th placed Genoa.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio qualified for the quarter finals played in March. In August /September, Lazio had won 3 (Pescara 2-0 away, Varese 2-1 and Verona 3-0, both at home) and drawn 1 (Ascoli 0-0 away). They then played the quarter final against Bologna but lost 0-4 on aggregate (with one goal by future Lazio legend, Giuliano Fiorini).
Pisa had finished 14th in Serie B the previous season, avoiding relegation on the last day of the season. The Nerazzurri had got through three different managers: Pier Luigi Meciani (1-7), Sergio Carpanesi (8-17) and finally Giuseppe Chiappella (18-38). Top scorer was former Lazio, Aldo Cantarutti with 6 league goals.
This season the manager was Lauro Toneatto. The new signings were goalkeeper Sergio Buso (Taranto), defenders Leonardo Occhipinti (Inter), Stefano Garuti (Bari), Fabio Massimi (Avellino), Felice Secondini (Piacenza - back from loan), midfielders Luigi Gozzoli (Como), Luca Bartolini (Rondinella), Ferruccio Mariani (Acilia), Paolo Tutino (Avellino) plus forward Alessandro Bertoni (Rondinella), Giovanni Quadri (Taranto) and Walter Viganò (Sambenedettese).
Leaving Pisa were: goalkeeper Walter Ciappi (Taranto), defenders Renzo Contratto (Fiorentina), Renato Miele (SPAL), Alfredo Savoldi (Monza), midfielders Enrico Cannata (Taranto), Roberto Bergamaschi (Inter - end of loan and then Brescia), Siro D'Alessandro (Pescara), Giorgio Barbana (Arezzo) plus forwards Fortunato Loddi (Nocerina), Claudio Di Prete (Nocerina) and Tiziano Quarella (Prato).
Pisa were having a decent season and were currently joint 7th with Catania on 32 points. The Nerazzurri had won 8, drawn 16 and lost 8 (including Lazio 1-2). They had only lost 1 home game all season (Milan 0-1).
In the Coppa Italia they had been eliminated in the first group phase after 4 defeats (Bologna 1-2, Vicenza 0-1 at home and Sampdoria 0-2 and Napoli 0-1 away).
Not an easy game for Lazio today against a solid upper-mid table side with no relegation or promotion stress.
The match: Sunday, May 17, 1981, Stadio Arena Garibaldi, Pisa
A sunny day in Pisa saw just under 20,000 presents in the little ground not far from the leaning tower. Several thousand had made the three-hour trip from Rome and there were some clashes between the opposing fans. One Pisa fan even lost a hand when a homemade cherry bomb went off before he could throw it.
On the field Lazio were without midfielder Dario Sanguin while Pisa were missing midfielder Luca Bartolini
Lazio started better than the hosts. In the 10th minute the Biancocelesti thought they should have had a penalty when Giorgio Mastropasqua was pulled down in the area but the referee had other ideas.
Lazio then had dangerous shots by Filippo Citterio and Fernando Viola well saved by Alessandro Mannini. Lazio were the superior side while Pisa only potential threats came from Alessandro Bertoni but he was too isolated up front. Half time came with Lazio having nothing to show for their positive performance, 0-0 at the break.
Things changed in the second half. The Nerazzurri were more determined and sharper. In the 57th minute their changed attitude paid off and they took the lead. Odoacre Chierico fed Bertoni who turned and blasted an excellent shot which hit the inside of the post and went in, to Dario Marigo's right. Pisa 1 Lazio 0.
Lazio tried to stir but Pisa were now playing better. In the 66th minute the Biancocelesti tried to change things a bit up front by replacing Giuseppe Greco with Stefano Chiodi.
More substitutions followed; in the 76th minute Leonardo Occhipinti came on for Luigi Gozzoli for Pisa and two minutes later changed Dario Pighin with youngster Claudio Simoni.
Lazio attacked but it was Pisa who went closest with Occhipinti and then Federico Rossi.
In the 84th minute the hosts took off the current match winner Bertoni and brought on another forward Giovanni Quadri.
A minute later Lazio equalised. Citterio won a challenge about 30 metres out and then the move continued confusedly with a hesitant defence unable to clear and the ball somehow reached Citterio in front of goal where he had no problem beating Mannini with a low left foot. A little fortuitous but Pisa 1 Lazio 1.
At this point both sides seemed to settle for the point and the game ended 1-1.
A fair draw in the end. Lazio had deserved more in the first 45 minutes but the Pisani had been in control after the break. All in all, a good away point for Lazio.
The Biancocelesti were still 3rd with the two-point advantage on 4th placed Genoa. The big match between the top two Milan and Cesena had ended goalless, Genoa had drawn 0-0 at Verona while 5th placed Sampdoria had lost 2-3 at home to Rimini. Satisfactory results and one less game to go.
Pisa were now 8th as Catania had beaten Bari 1-0 at home.
Who played for Pisa
Mannini, Rossi, Massimi, Vianello, Garuti, Gozzoli (76' Occhipinti), Viganò, Chierico, A. Bertoni (84' Quadri), V. Graziani, Cantarutti
Substitutes: Buso, Secondini, Tuttino
Manager: Toneatto
Who played for Lazio
Marigo, Spinozzi, Pighin (78' Simoni), Perrone, Pochesci, Citterio, Viola, Bigon, Garlaschelli, Mastropasqua, Greco (66' Chiodi)
Manager: Castagner
Referee: Mattei
Goals: 57' A. Bertoni, 85' Citterio
What happened next
Lazio went very close to promotion but just fell short and finished 4th. Between today and June 14, the penultimate game of the season, Lazio won 1 (Cesena 2-0), drew 1 (1-1 away to Milan) and lost 1 (0-1 at home to Sampdoria with controversial refereeing decisions). Not great but maybe just about good enough to get promoted. Then came the June 14 home game against Vicenza. The table read Milan 48, Genoa 44, Cesena 44, Lazio 44 for three places in A.
With the score on 1-1, in the 87th minute Lazio were awarded a penalty. Stefano Chiodi, the specialist who had never missed a penalty, stepped up and missed obviously...hitting the post. Cesena and Genoa won and a demoralised Lazio then only drew the last away game at Taranto and so came 4th. A huge disappointment. Top scorer was Alberto Bigon with 10 goals (9 in B).
Pisa finished 7th. A week later they shocked Milan by winning 1-0 at the San Siro. In the following 4 games they then won 1, drew 2 and lost 1. Top scorer was Aldo Cantarutti again with 12 league goals.
Pisa were promoted the following season and in the 80's often went up and down between B and A . In 2025-26 they will play in Serie A again after a 24-year absence.
With Milan, Cesena and Genoa going up, the teams heading in the other direction were Monza, Taranto, Atalanta and Vicenza.
Lets talk about Filippo Citterio
Filippo Citterio was born in Giussano (Monza), on November 17, 1955.
At 14 he joined local Vis Nova Giussano youth teams and stayed with the "Lucertole" (The Lizards) until he was almost 18.
He then joined Seregno (Monza) in Serie C. He stayed one season, the "Spartani" finished 6th and he played 36 league games with one goal.
In 1974-75 he moved to A.C Milan. The manager was Gustavo Giagnoni and Citterio played 1 league game and 4 in Coppa Italia. The Rossoneri finished 5th and were losing finalists in the Coppa Italia (Fiorentina 2-3).
In 1975-76 he moved to Sicily and more specifically Palermo in Serie B. He stayed four seasons with 11th, 12th, 6th and 7th places. His managers were Benigno De Grandi, Antonio De Bellis, Giuseppe Grassotti and Fernando Veneranda for two full seasons. Citterio played 129 games with 2 goals.
In 1979 he joined Lazio. The manager was Bob Lovati and Citterio had a good season playing every league game (30) with 1 goal (winner against Torino) and 6 in Coppa Italia. The same could not be said for Lazio who narrowly avoided relegation on the pitch but then were sent down for some of their players' involvement in the "Totonero" betting scandal. It was also the season of Vincenzo Paparelli's death, the Lazio fan killed by a flare shot from the Roma end before a derby.
Citterio stayed on in Serie B under new manager Ilario Castagner. Lazio just missed out on promotion finishing 4th, also due to a crucial penalty miss by Roberto Chiodi (who had never missed a penalty). Citterio had another positive season playing 38 league games with 6 goals (Catania, Varese, Atalanta, Monza, Pisa, Taranto) and 5 in Coppa Italia with 1 goal (Varese).
In 1981 Citterio moved down to Naples but back up to Serie A. The manager was former Lazio player Rino Marchesi and the Partenopei finished 4th. He played 21 league games with 2 goals (Como and winner vs Roma), 6 in Coppa Italia and 2 in the UEFA Cup. He played with future Lazio, Raimondo Marino, Claudio Vinazzani and Oscar Damiani.
The following year, former Lazio player Massimo Giacomini was manager, but was replaced in November by the duo Bruno Pesaola - Gennaro Rambone. The Azzurri finished 10th and Citterio played 24 league games, 7 in Coppa Italia and 3 in the UEFA Cup.
In 1983 he moved to Le Marche and signed for Ascoli in Serie A. The first year went well under Carlo Mazzone, the "Picchio" (The Woodpecker) finished 10th. Citterio played 18 league games and 6 in Coppa Italia. In the squad were Paolo Pochesci, Carlo Perrone and Giuseppe Greco, all former Lazio.
The second season was difficult. Mazzone was sacked after seven matches and replaced by Mario Colautti (with Vujadin Boskov as TD). The Piceni finished 14th and were relegated, winning only 4 league games all season. Citterio only played 8 league games. One of his teammates was former Lazio Aldo Cantarutti.
In 1985 he joined Cremonese in Serie B. He stayed five seasons under Emiliano Mondonico, Bruno Mazzia for three seasons and finally Tarcisio Burgnich. The" Violini" (The Violins) finished 9th, 5th, 6th,4th (promoted to A after playoff) and 17th (relegated). Citterio played 165 league games with 6 goals. He played alongside many future Laziali; Attilio Lombardo, Giuseppe Favalli, Mauro Bonomi, Dario Marcolin and former player Gustavo Dezotti
His last team was still in Lombardy but was Brescia in Serie B. The managers were Bruno Mazzia (1-3) and Bruno Bolchi (4-38) and the "Leonessa" finished 9th. Citterio played 30 league games. He was in squad with Lazio connections Luca Luzardi, Luciano De Paola and Marco Piovanelli.
The final professional year, under Adelio Moro (Mircea Lucescu TD), ended on a high and the "Rondinelle" (Little Swallows) won the league and were promoted to Serie A. Citterio however, despite being in the squad, made no appearances.
He retired at 36 and went straight into coaching. He spent three years in the Cremonese youth sector, a year with his original home club Vis Nova, a short spell with SüdTirol-Alto Adige, two years with Mariano (Como), a year with Seregno (Bergamo), another season with Vis Nova, three years with Molinello (Monza) and a year with Nibionno (Lecco).
Since 2010 he has concentrated more on running Sports Academies (Mariano Comense) and in 2015 he opened a new Football Academy called Palaextra Sport Academy in Mariano Comense (Como) where he is technical director. A grass roots man rather than in top professional football.
As a player he was a left fullback. He is 1.88 and 80 kilos, so was a strong defender. He was particularly good going forward, often helping the offensive moves. He had good athleticism and technique. He played 129 games in Serie A
He played 79 games for Lazio. He was a popular player and the fans were sad to see him leave. He was unlucky with his timing at Lazio, arriving at one of the many difficult periods in their history.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1979-80 | 36 (1) | 30 (1) | - | 6 |
1980-81 | 43 (7) | - | 38 (6) | 5 (1) |
Total | 79 (8) | 30 (1) | 38 (6) | 11 (1) |
Sources
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