Moscatelli drama

Dag Jenkins
Dec 7, 2023
4 min read

Season 1980-81

Game 13, Serie B

Sunday, December 7, 1980

Stadio Gino Alfonso Sada, Monza

Monza Lazio 2-2

An eventful game with a non-existent last minute penalty for Monza plus Lazio lose their keeper to serious injury

Lazio's league debut was on September 14 at home to Palermo and ended 1-1. Since then the Biancocelesti had won 6 and drawn 5. A positive and unbeaten start. Lazio were joint top of the table with Milan on 18 points.

Monza so far were yet to win a game, they had drawn 6 and lost 6. They were however unbeaten at home. In the table they were 20th and bottom on 6 points with Palermo (who started at -5) and four from safety (Varese and Verona on 10 points).

An easy game only on paper for Lazio who had everything to lose against the worst team in the league who as mentioned however had never lost in front of their home supporters.

The match

A sunny but freezing day with northerly winds in Lombardy. There were about 7,000 spectators in the small old ground built in 1945.

Lazio were without midfielder Nando Viola while the hosts were missing midfielder Ennio Mastalli.

If Lazio were expecting to stroll to a victory they soon had to change their minds as Monza came out firing.

Lazio were forced on the defensive. In the 7th minute the locals had a freekick by Giovanni Carlo Ferrari which went through the wall but Maurizio Moscatelli parried and then Paolo Pochesci cleared for a corner.

Lazio absorbed the early pressure and in the 14th minute had a freekick of their own. Giorgio Mastropasqua took it and Alberto Bigon headed towards goal but Roberto Maroncini did well to save and then Antonio Acerbis booted the ball upfield.

Both sides battled hard but there were no more really clear-cut chances before halftime, 0-0 at the break.

For the second half the Biancorossi brought on midfielder Renato Acanfora and took off defender Giuseppe Pallavicini.

Lazio, despite Monza's fighting spirit, had more quality and in the 52nd minute took the lead. Giuseppe Greco sent Filippo Citterio down the left wing and the full-back burst into the area and struck a shot on which Renzo Garlaschelli got a touch which beat Marconcini, 0-1.

The Brianzoli reacted and equalised only three minutes later. Acanfora to Ferrari who crossed and Daniele Massaro pounced and beat Moscatelli, 1-1.

At this point Lamberto Giorgis decided to replace Acerbis with Lino Giusto.

In the 65th minute came the first controversial episode as Arcadio Spinozzi was booked for a perfectly run of the mill foul, hardly yellow card material. The fact is "Spina", who was marking danger man Paolo Monelli then got irritated and after his next foul a few minutes later on Monelli he got given his marching orders.

Lazio were in ten men and immediately changed Garlaschelli for defender Dario Pighin. Lazio had difficulty in coping with Lombards' new found energy but nevertheless took back the lead in the 80th minute. It was another controversial moment as goalkeeper Maroncini slapped the ball away from a Stefano Chiodi header and it ended up on Francesco Stanzione's arm. The referee pointed to the penalty spot but there was the sensation he was making up for his treatment of Spinozzi and also for a much clearer and intentional handball by Claudio Maselli earlier in the game. Chiodi stepped up and it was 1-2 to Lazio.

The home crowd was not pleased. The atmosphere became heavy with sticks, coins and cans hurtling down onto the pitch.

The game went on and in the 82nd minute the Lazio keeper Moscatelli suddenly collapsed to the ground. At first it was thought he had been hit by some of the fans' ammunition but it then transpired that he had hurt himself stepping on a hole in the grass. He went off on a stretcher and it soon came out that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon (in those days still a serious injury).

He was replaced by Aldo Nardin as Lazio tried to resist the assaults from both the opposition and their supporters.

Lazio played the last minutes all inside the area and it seemed they had almost made it when the referee decided to be a protagonist again. In the 89th minute Massaro literally and theatrically threw himself against Pochesci and then fell like a sack of potatoes. A freekick to Lazio? No, Mr. Pairetto gave a penalty to Monza just to be sure to further mess up his performance.

Acanfora took it and scored. Final score 2-2.

A draw which was probably a fair result and would have been accepted by both sides prior to the game. The way it came about however made both teams come off the field feeling hard done by.

More worrying for Lazio was the injury to their keeper who would be out for a lengthy period.

Lazio were now solitary leaders as Milan had fallen to a shock 0-3 defeat at Taranto.

Monza were still bottom on 7 points but now with Vicenza and three points from safety rather than four (Varese on 10).

Who played for Monza

Marconcini, Motta, Viganò, Acerbis (55' Giusto), Stanzione, Pallavicini (46' Acanfora), Massaro, Maselli, Monelli, Ronco, G.C.Ferrari

Substitutes: Cavalieri, Blangero, Tatti

Manager: Giorgis

Who played for Lazio

Moscatelli (82' Nardin), Spinozzi, Citterio, Perrone, Pochesci, Mastropasqua, Garlaschelli (69' Pighin), Sanguin, Chiodi, Bigon, Greco