There is hope
The first win in two months plus the news that Giorgio Chinaglia may purchase the club give new hope to fans
The season so far
The first big news of the season came with Italy winning the World Cup in Spain. The Italian Football Federation, to celebrate its historic win, decided to cut a few years off the suspension of all those players involved in the Totonero scandal of 1980. Therefore, Bruno Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia could come back to play. This was a real bonus for Lazio and a golden ticket to finally get back into Serie A.
President Gian Casoni and Sports Director Antonio Sbardella got rid of a lot of players that had been bought in the last couple years – in other words those who failed to get Lazio promoted - and replaced them with new ones who were to guarantee that the job got done.
So, in came some of the players who, whether they stayed for a long time or not, became Lazio icons during the 1980s such as Nando Orsi, Enrico Vella and Gabriele Podavini.
Lazio therefore had changed quite a lot and had difficulty in finding the right team. Despite being knocked out of the Coppa Italia in August, the season started with high expectations. However, three draws in the first three games meant that there was quite a lot of pressure on manager Roberto Clagluna, who was not a fan favourite.
The manager then started to change things. Orsi substituted Maurizio Moscatelli, who was not performing well following his return to football after breaking his Achilles tendon, Manfredonia was moved to midfield, Marco Saltarelli was introduced as new left-back and Renato Miele was placed at the centre of the defence. Things began to improve and Lazio went on a roll of seven consecutive victories from the end of October to mid December and reached the top spot in Serie B.
In December, in the last match of 1982, Lazio drew 2-2 in a spectacular game against other promotion favourites Milan, and Serie A looked just around the corner. But things changed in the new year and Lazio started to struggle a bit. After drawing at Perugia and beating Bari, Lazio had three consecutive goalless draws and two defeats. The gap with those behind was reduced to two points. They needed to beat struggling Reggiana. Lazio scored three times with Giordano but were unable to secure victory and were held to a draw. Clagluna had to go in order to create a spark that could help Lazio get over the line. Old Lazio glory Giancarlo Morrone, who was managing the Primavera team, was called in to help create that spark. The next match however things precipitated even further and Lazio lost 5-1 to Milan.
Lazio were now second but on equal points with Catania, Cremonese and Cavese. Milan were miles ahead, so just two places available for promotion. Next up Atalanta.
The match: Sunday, May 22, 1983, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
On Sunday May 22, Lazio fans woke up with heavy hearts. But when they went to buy the newspaper, they saw that Giorgio Chinaglia wanted to buy Lazio. The enthusiasm that this news generated brought 55,000 people to the Olimpico.
Dream start for Lazio. In the 2nd minute Vincenzo D’Amico from the left sent in a cross that the Atalanta goalkeeper could safely catch. But the ball dropped out of his arms and Roberto Badiani was the quickest to react and volleyed the ball in.
All downhill for Lazio? No. Atalanta took charge of the game and in the 11th minute equalised. Bortolo Mutti sent in a cross from the right, the Lazio defence were a bit slow and Marco Pacione beat Fernando Orsi.
The Bergamaschi played well, especially with former Lazio Andrea Agostinelli and future star Roberto Donadoni, and it looked as if Lazio's winning drought would continue. Giordano was all alone up front, not helped by either Claudio Ambu or D’Amico.
However, in the 28th minute there was a free kick for Lazio outside the box, 25 metres out. D’Amico found a gap in the Atalanta wall and Lazio were back in front.
Lazio almost made it three at the end of the first half but Gabriele Podavini’s shot was saved on the line by Daniele Filisetti.
Atalanta did everything they could to equalise in the second half and went very near with Donadoni, Maurizio Codogno and Giorgio Magnocavallo, but the Lazio defence managed to hold on to the win. Lazio were still in second place, but now by themselves.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Podavini, Saltarelli, Vella, Pochesci, Spinozzi, Ambu (89’ Chiodi), Marini, Giordano, D’Amico (86’ Tavola), Badiani.
Substitutes: Moscatelli, Miele, Sciarpa
Manager: Morrone
Who played for Atalanta
Benevelli, Codogno, Magnocavallo, Snidaro (46' Foscarini), Filisetti, E. Perico, Donadoni, D.Moro (77' Madonna), Mutti II, Agostinelli, Pacione.
Substitutes: Bordoni, Bruno, Sandri.
Manager: O.Bianchi.
Referee: Leni
Goals: 2’ Badiani, 11’ Pacione, 28’ D’Amico
What happened next
After a goalless draw at Arezzo, the following Sunday came the mother of all games for Lazio at home against Catania. A win would mean that a single point would then guarantee promotion. And a win it was thanks to a shot from Gabriele Podavini deflected by Giorgio Mastropasqua that made it 2-1. The last game against Cavese finished 2-2 and Lazio were finally in Serie A after three years.
Chinaglia arrived in July and became President on July 13, 1983.
Lazio 1982-83
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie B | 38 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 44 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Total | 43 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 52 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
Giordano | 43 | 38 | 5 |
Vella | 42 | 38 | 4 |
Podavini | 39 | 34 | 5 |
D'Amico | 38 | 34 | 4 |
Manfredonia | 38 | 36 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
Giordano | 21 | 18 | 3 |
Vella | 5 | 5 | - |
D'Amico | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Manfredonia | 4 | 4 | - |
Ambu | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Let's talk about Andrea Agostinelli
Playing for Atalanta today was Andrea Agostinelli, a brilliant midfield player who grew up at Lazio and is still a fan.
Agostineli was born in Ancona on April 20, 1957. At a young age his family moved to Rome. He was noted by former Lazio legend Enrique Flamini who got Lazio to sign him for the youth team. Blond, like Luciano Re Cecconi, he was immediately nicknamed Little Re Cecconi.
In 1974 Lazio tried to sign Paolo Ammoniaci from Cesena. The Sport Director agreed in exchange for money plus Andrea Agostinelli. “Who is he?” asked President Umberto Lenzini. He had never heard of him. After a brief investigation, they found out who he was. This interest from Cesena led Lenzini to refuse. “He must be good”, he must have thought.
Agostinelli was part of the Primavera team that along with Bruno Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia won the Championship in 1975-76 under the guidance of Paolo Carosi. He debuted in Serie A on October 19, 1975 at Perugia. In the next season, under manager Luis Vinicio, he took the place of an injured Luciano Re Cecconi in the third game of the season. Cecco never returned and Agostineli played the whole season as first choice. And he did very well. He had speed, stamina and could play the ball. He even started being selected for the Italy Under 21s.
After three seasons, in 1979-80 Agostinelli was surprisingly loaned to Napoli but he did not play much. A year later he went away again on loan, this time to Pistoiese. He played a lot but the Tuscan team was relegated.
Back at Lazio briefly, he then signed with Modena in Serie C1 in 1981. He stayed a year before moving to Atalanta in Serie B where he stayed for three years. With the Bergamaschi he won promotion back to Serie A in 1983-84. In 1985-86 he signed for Avellino in Serie A. The season after he played his last two games in the top tier before signing for Lecce in Serie B on loan and a year later for Genoa. His last professional years were with Mantova and Lodigiani.
He played 12 games for the Under-21 national team and 6 with the Military Nazionale.
After he quit football, he became a manager and has had a very lengthy career as head coach for teams mainly in the second and third tiers. He managed in Serie A just once, at Piacenza between 2002 and February 2003 when he was sacked. He also managed Napoli briefly in Serie B from July to November 2003. He has coached in Albania and Congo. Since 2022 he has been manager for Gudja United in the Maltese Premier League.
Andrea Agostinelli played 75 games in Serie A for Lazio (2 goals), 10 in Coppa Italia (one goal), 5 in the UEFA Cup and 5 in Intertoto.
He has often done punditry for RAI state TV as well as the local radio stations that talk about Lazio.
It was often rumoured that he would return to Lazio but it never happened and that was a pity, he was a really good player. And he was blond, just like Re Cecconi.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup | Intertoto Cup |
1975-76 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
1976-77 | 26 (1) | 25 (1) | 1 | - | - |
1977-78 | 42 (2) | 29 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 | 5 |
1978-79 | 23 | 19 | 4 | - | - |
Total | 95 (3) | 75 (2) | 10 (1) | 5 | 5 |
Sources