Lazio's masterpiece
Down to ten men after only seven minutes Lazio end up humiliating Roma with unforgettable derby triumph
Also on this day: November 1, 1936: Lazio Juventus 1-0. An entertaining and balanced game is decided by Silvio Piola. Player of the day: Bruno Camolese
The season so far
The previous season had seen Dino Zoff take over from Zdenek Zeman in January and earn a 4th place finish. Giuseppe Signori's 15 goals had helped Lazio conquer a UEFA Cup place and make it a positive season.
This year however, there had been a big change. Lazio had a new manager in Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, who arrived in the summer from Sampdoria.
There had been other major changes to the squad too. In had come goalkeeper Marco Ballotta (Reggiana), full back Giuseppe Pancaro (Cagliari), midfielders Matias Almeyda (Sevilla) and Vladimir Jugovic (Juventus) plus forwards Alen Boksic (back from Juventus) and Roberto Mancini (Sampdoria).
The players who left were South-African defender Mark Fish (Bolton), midfielders Roberto Baronio (on loan to Vicenza), and Alessandro Iannuzzi (Lecce) plus forwards Marco Di Vaio (Salernitana) and Igor Protti (Napoli-on loan).
Lazio were currently in 9th position, on 8 points. After 6 games, Lazio had won 2 (Napoli 2-0 on debut and Bari 3-2, both at home), drawn 2 (Milan and Inter, both 1-1 away) and lost 2 (Empoli 0-1 away and Atalanta 0-2 at home). The most recent result had been the home defeat to the Bergamaschi. An inconsistent start to Serie A, but today was the derby.
In the other competitions Lazio had got through the 2nd round of Coppa Italia (Fidelis Andria 6-2 on aggregate) and had beaten Napoli 3-0 at home in the 3rd round first leg. In the UEFA Cup, Lazio had eliminated Vitória Guimarāes 6-1 on aggregate and drawn 0-0 away to Rotor in the first leg of the round of 32, the return game in Rome was in three days' time.
The previous season Roma had finished 12th. They had started under Argentine Carlos Bianchi but he had been replaced after 26 games by old favourite Nils Liedholm. Things did not improve with the Swede (W1, D2 and L5). One of the two draws was the derby where Roma almost salvaged something from the season but Igor Protti equalised in the 90th minute, with Lazio in ten men, to deny the "cugini" even that satisfaction (the player sent off was Favalli…). So, a very negative season for the Giallorossi.
This season Roma had a new manager, Zdeněk Zeman. The Bohemian had been so traumatised by his Lazio sacking that he had eagerly accepted the call from the arch rivals.
Roma also had several new players: goalkeepers Michael Konsel (Rapid Vienna) and Antonio Chimenti (Salernitana), defenders Cafu (Palmeiras), César Gomez (Tenerife), Giorgio Lucenti (Palermo), Ivan Helguera (Albacete), Cristian Servidei (Leece), midfielders Vágner (Santos), Cristiano Scapolo (Bologna), Eusebio Di Francesco (Piacenza) plus forwards Paulo Sérgio (Bayer Leverkusen) and Carmine Gautieri (Perugia).
Leaving were goalkeepers Giovanni Cervone (Brescia) and Giorgio Sterchele (Bologna), defenders Amedeo Carboni (Valencia), Marco Lanna (Salamanca), Enrico Annoni (Celtic), midfielders Jonas Thern (Rangers), Francesco Statuto (Udinese), Antonio Bernardini (Perugia) plus forwards Francesco Moriero (Inter), Daniel Fonseca (Juventus), Martin Dahlin (Blackburn Rovers).
So, a major overhaul. Some of the new players' names however still bring music to all Laziali's ears, especially Vagner (unsurprisingly), César Gomez, Lucenti, Helguera and Servidei to name a few of their favourites.
In Serie A Roma had started better and were in 4th position, on 12 points. The Giallorossi had won 3 (Empoli 3-1 away, Lecce 3-1 and Napoli 6-2 at home) and drawn 3 (Juventus 0-0 at home, Bologna and Fiorentina both 0-0 away). The last result was the goalless draw in Florence.
In the other competition, the Coppa Italia, Roma had eliminated Verona 7-4 on aggregate and then drawn 2-2 away to Udinese in the first leg of the round of 32. The return game in Rome would be on November 20.
Roma were slight favourites on current form but this was the "Derby della Capitale" not an ordinary league game.
The match: Saturday, November 1, 1997, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
An excited 75,000 crowd packed out the Olimpico for this much awaited "Stracittadina" game.
Lazio had the predicted starting XI with Roberto Mancini and Pierluigi Casiraghi up front and Beppe Signori on the bench. The Biancocelesti were missing defender José Antonio Chamot and forward Alen Boksic.
Roma had some problems in defence as Aldair, Fabio Petruzzi were suspended and Antonio Carlos Zago was also missing. Their replacements in the middle were Cristian Servidei and César Gómez. In Zdenek Zeman's 4-3-3 Carmine Gautieri was preferred to Marco Delvecchio, who started on the bench, to partner Abel Balbo and Francesco Totti up front.
After seven minutes of derby skirmishes the game came alive. On a low ball from Roma's half, Damiano Tommasi surged through centrally but was hacked down by Beppe Favalli. A blatantly late tackle but not last man as there were other defenders covering. The expected yellow card however never emerged from Mr. Collina's pocket, instead out came a direct red. The referee claimed it was violent and intentional thus the harsh punishment. A nightmare start for Lazio.
Sven-Goran Eriksson made no substitutions for the moment but wisely gave himself some time to think about it. On the subsequent free kick from at least 35 metres out Gigi Di Biagio blasted a central shot which Luca Marchegiani fisted away.
Roma predictably smelt blood and attacked. Marchegiani was forced to make two good saves, first on a low Gautieri strike and then a a blistering Vincent Candela shot on the near post, both into corner.
Lazio reacted with a curling Diego Fuser freekick from about 35 metres out which went extremely close to the left post.
At this point Eriksson finally made his decision and it was a brave one. He left all the forwards on and took off midfielder Matías Almeyda for defender Paolo Negro.
Then it was Roma again with a Tommasi left footed volley but it was superbly parried by Marchegiani.The Lazio keeper was under fire by the opposition but even more so by the Roma fans who constantly bombarded his area with flares, some dangerously close to his persona.
Roma's pressure then gradually faded and Lazio were able to reach the break on level terms. Roma 0 Lazio 0.
A first period clearly influenced by the early sending off. Lazio could thank Marchegiani but could also take heart from Roma's increasing difficulty to create threats as the game went on.
There were no changes during the interval. The second half started with a bang and a goal. In the 47nd minute Lazio interrupted a Roma attack at the edge of the area and played the ball out to Casiraghi in midfield, the big northern striker immediately flicked it out to Roberto Mancini on the left wing where Mancio ran at the two backward pedalling defenders before gliding through them on the left vertex and brilliantly putting the ball in the far top corner. A wonderful goal, pure class. Roma 0 Lazio 1 and Roma in shock.
Roma attacked head down but were in a state of confusion and only produced a long range shot, saved comfortably by Marchegiani.
It was in fact Lazio who went closer again. Pavel Nedved from his own half teed up Casiraghi, through the vulnerable Roma backline, one-on-one with Michael Konsel who however raced off his line and saved the attempted chip.
A few minutes later however Lazio scored. In the 57th minute Mancini near the left corner flag cut in and floated a long cross onto the opposite side where Casiraghi acrobaticall lunged and with a diving volley beat Konsel, with a low shot on the near post. Another quality goal, Roma 0 Lazio 2. This was gradually turning into a dream come true for Lazio and an absolute nightmare for Roma.
The Giallorossi tried some substitutions, just after the goal Delvecchio replaced Gautieri and then in the 65th minute Vagner was thrown on to up the tempo in place of Eusebio Di Francesco.
Roma however looked beaten. Lazio almost made it three on Fuser freekick, from the left of the area, punched away by Konsel.
Lazio took Mancini off in the 73rd minute for a more defensive midfielder Dario Marcolin and Roma made their final change in the 82nd with attacking Paulo Sergio for defender Gomez.
Roma almost pulled one back in the 83rd minute when from a Candela cross Delvecchio's went for a scissor kick which was not far over the bar. In the 84th minute Eriksson played his last card and brought on Giorgio Venturin for an exhausted Vladimir Jugovic.
In the same minute Lazio made it three. From a Beppe Pancaro thrown in just over midfield Nedved first lobbed Tommasi, burst forward between the remains of Roma's defence and lobbed Konsel coming off his line. A goal to match the first two, Roma 0 Lazio 3.
In the 90th minute Roma too were reduced to ten men when Di Biagio got a second yellow. In the 91st minute the Giallorossi got a late consolation goal when Delvecchio headed in a Candela cross. Too little too late. Final score Roma 1 Lazio 3.
An epic win for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had stood firm in ten men and then made the superior quality of their players count. Eriksson had had been proven right in his decision to keep the attacking threat on while reinforcing the defence.
For Roma a devastating loss. To be well beaten by ten men in a derby is not as bad as losing in injury time but it's still pretty grim. The mention of the defensive duo Servidei-Gomez still brings tears to Roma and Lazio fans eyes, for different reasons obviously.
Lazio with this historic win moved up to joint 5th place, on 11 points, only one point behind Roma in 4th.
Who played for Roma
Konsel, Cafu, Gomez (82' Paulo Sergio), Servidei, Candela, Tommasi, Di Biagio, Di Francesco (65' Vagner), Gautieri (57' Delvecchio), Balbo, Totti
Substitutes: Chimenti, Pivotto, Scapolo, Helguera
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Pancaro, Nesta, G.Lopez, Favalli, Fuser, Almeyda (22' Negro), Jugovic (84' Venturin), Nedved, Mancini (73' Marcolin), Casiraghi
Manager: Eriksson
Referee: Collina
Goals: 47' Mancini, 57' Casiraghi, 84' Nedved, 91' Delvecchio
Red cards: 7' Favalli, 90' Di Biagio
What happened next
A week later Lazio beat Sampdoria 3-0 at home but their season continued to be up and down until mid-December when they really hit top gear (12 wins and 4 draws). Lazio then challenged for the title until a precise date, April 5. They played leaders Juventus, got beaten 1-0 and never recovered. In the last 6 matches they only managed to muster one point and ended up in a disappointing 7th place. Top scorers were Pavel Nedvěd and Alen Boksic with 15 goals (Nedved 11 in A and Boksic 10). Alas previous years goal machine Beppe Signori had left in late November due to contrasts with Eriksson over lack of playing time.
Strange but true however it turned out to be a season to remember. They beat hated city rivals 4 times! Twice in the league (today's 3-1 and 2-0) and twice in the Coppa Italia (4-1 and 2-1), a record which has yet to be rivalled.
They also had an excellent European campaign. They reached the UEFA Cup Final in Paris. On the way they then eliminated Rotor (3-0), Rapid Vienna (3-0), Auxerre (3-2) and Atlético Madrid (1-0). Then, however, a tired Lazio were well beaten 0-3 by Ronaldo's Inter.
It was in the domestic cup, the Coppa Italia, that they lived their finest hour. They knocked out Napoli (4-3 on aggregate with a slight scare) and then Roma (4-1, 2-1) and in the semi-final Juventus (1-0, 2-2).
The final against Milan was also still played over two legs, home and away. The first went to Milan 1-0 with an 89th minute George Weah winner. The return match in Rome seemed to be heading in Milan's favour too when a Demetrio Albertini freekick put the Rossoneri 1-0 up just before half time. A stirring second half performance however turned the final around. Goals by Gottardi, Jugovic (pen) and captain Nesta gave Lazio a dramatic 3-1 victory and after 30 years gave the Biancocelesti long awaited silverware.
So, a European Final, 4 derby wins and a domestic cup after thirty years definitely made it a season to cherish.
Let’s talk about Pierluigi Collina
Today we will talk about a referee. Apart from being today's match referee as we will see there are two other major facts which connect him to Lazio.
Pierluigi Collina was born in Bologna on February 13 1960. He graduated in Economics in 1984 at the University of Bologna. It was at this time he started losing his hair due to Alopecia. This would later add to his iconic and charismatic status as a referee. In 1991 he moved to Viareggio in Tuscany to work as a financial consultant hence becoming "Signor Collina di Viareggio".
He started his refereeing career at professional level in 1988 and in 1991 started games in Serie B and A. In 1994 he became a UEFA and FIFA referee. His international debut came in a Turkey vs France game on March 8 1995.
He is universally recognised as one of the best referees in the history of football.
He was in charge of the famous Champions League final in 1999 when Manchester United beat Bayern Munich in the dying seconds. He also refereed the World Cup final between Brazil and Germany in 2002 and the Olympic final of 1996 between Argentina and Nigeria. He refereed in two World Cups and a European Championship. Another prestigious game was the 2004 UEFA Cup final between Olympique Marseille and Valencia.
In his career he refereed 240 games in Serie A, 79 in Serie B, 42 in Coppa Italia (including 3 finals), 2 Italian Supercoppa finals and 109 internationals.
In 2005 after 28 years of career he resigned from AIA (Italian Referee Association). This was due to some controversy over some advertising contracts with Opel who were A.C Milan's sponsor at the time. He was initially demoted to Serie B but then decided to retire.
In 2006, rehabilitated, he became an AIA consultant and from 2007 to 2010 was the Serie A referee designator (in charge of choosing the referees for each match).
In 2010 he became UEFA referee designator, a job he held until 2017.
In 2017 he became President of the FIFA Referee Commission.
In his career he won plenty of awards including being voted Referee of the Year by IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) in five consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2003.
In a Lazio connection he is remembered for two things. Firstly, he was the referee in the famous Perugia vs Juventus game on May 14 2000. In the last game of the season, with the Biancocelesti and Bianconeri battling for the Scudetto, at the end half of the first half in Perugia the heavens opened and the game had to be postponed for 71 minutes. Meanwhile Lazio beat Reggina 3-0 at home and waited and waited… Collina tried out the pitch several times and despite the fact that it looked almost unplayable he decided to restart. The rest is history with Alessandro Calori's goal giving Perugia the win and Lazio their second Scudetto.
Five years later during a lecture he was giving on health and exercise science at the Medicine and Surgery Faculty at the University of Parma he confessed, "As a boy I supported Bologna, my hometown. I then became fascinated by another Eagle, besides Fortitudo in basketball (one of Bologna's two main teams), Lazio. At 14 I played as a sweeper and I greatly admired Pino Wilson". Therefore, Collina was a Lazio sympathiser.
Not that this would ever have affected his decisions. He refereed many Lazio games and blew for and against. In fact, in his first nine matches Lazio never won...you don't become one of the best referees in history by being affected by childhood affections.
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