Eagles swoop down on Dolphins twice
A goal per half by Giordano and D'Amico give Lazio win over hapless Pescara
The season so far
Lazio had finished a respectable 8th the previous season, under Roberto "Bob" Lovati. Bruno Giordano had been top Serie A scorer with 19 goals and 21 in total.
This year Lovati had kept his place. There were some changes to the squad. The main new signings were: defender Filippo Citterio (Palermo), midfielders Maurizio Montesi (Avellino- back from loan), Vincenzo Zucchini (Pescara) and young forward Enrico Todesco (Como).
The players leaving were: defenders Paolo Ammoniaci (Palermo), Pietro Ghedin (Pescara-on loan), Scudetto legend Gigi Martini (Chicago Sting), Andrea Agostinelli (Napoli-on loan), midfielders Roberto Badiani (Napoli-on loan), Franco Cordova (Avellino), Massimo de Stefanis (Palermo) and forward Aldo Cantarutti (Pisa).
On paper it did not look as if Lazio had come out strengthened by the transfer market, far from it.
So far, Lazio had played eight league games and had won two (Fiorentina 2-0, Juventus 1-0, both at home), drawn five (Avellino 0-0 away, Perugia and Cagliari 1-1 at home, Ascoli and Roma 1-1 away) and lost one (Inter 1-2 away). Lazio were on 9 points.
Two weeks earlier, in the 1-1 derby draw, Lazio's season and history had been shrouded in tragedy. A Lazio fan, 33-year-old Vincenzo Paparelli had been killed by a nautical flare shot from the Roma end before the match. A terrible day for Lazio and Italian football. The game then took place more to avoid further crowd trouble and ended in an obviously pre-established draw.
In August and September, the Biancocelesti had got through the first Coppa Italia group phase against; Matera 5-0, Brescia 2-0, Pistoiese 2-1 and Udinese 0-0. They would now play Torino home and away on November 21 and January 16 in the quarterfinals.
Pescara were newly promoted having finished 3rd in Serie B the previous season. The manager was Antonio Angelillo while the top scorer was Bartolomeo Di Michele with 10 goals (9 in B).
This year Angelillo had started but had already been replaced after five games by former Roma Gustavo Giagnoni. The "Delfini" (The Dolphins) had in fact had a poor start to their 79-80 campaign. So far they had not managed to win a match, drawing three (Ascoli 0-0, Avellino 1-1 and Perugia 1-1, all at home) and losing five (Inter 0-2, Juventus 0-3, Fiorentina 0-2, Cagliari 0-1 away and Roma 2-3 at home). The Adriatici were struggling on 3 points.
In Coppa Italia in August and September they had at least won a game (Pisa 3-2 at home) but were then eliminated after two draws (Monza 1-1 away and Milan 1-1 at home) and one defeat (Genoa 0-2 away).
Pescara had a few decent players; defender Valeriano Prestanti, former Roma defenders Giacomo Chinellato and Piergiorgio Negrisolo, former Roma midfielder Loris Boni, captain Bruno Nobili, Giordano Cinquetti and former Vicenza Franco Cerilli plus forwards Massimo Silva and Bartolomeo Di Michele.
Lazio were clear favourites today against the Abruzzesi visitors.
The match: Sunday, November 11, 1979, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
An overcast November day only attracted about 25,000 spectators to the Olimpico.
For Lazio, Lionello Manfredonia was back in defence while for Pescara Giorgio Repetto was preferred to Di Michele.
The Pescaresi surprisingly took the game to Lazio and Nobili caused havoc in the first five minutes. The Lazio backline were forced to pull him down twice as he was weaving his way into the area. Of the two subsequent free kicks, one by Nobili went extremely close to the post.
The visitors' audacious game plan was thwarted in the 10th minute. Fernando Viola took a corner, from the left under Curva Sud, which was brilliantly pounced on by Bruno Giordano who headed past Gian Nicola Pinotti. Lazio 1 Pescara 0.
In the 13th minute the "Delfini" responded with a Giordano Cinquetti effort acrobatically saved by Massimo Cacciatori. This would be Pescara's only threat from open play.
The rest of the first half was a Lazio monologue. In the 18th minute Giordano put Renzo Garlaschelli through with only the keeper to beat but Garlasca fired high. Then Giordano had two shots go just wide and Nando Viola went close too.
Just before halftime the Dolphins resurfaced but Nobili was challenged before he could get a shot in from a good position. Halftime score Lazio 1 Pescara 0.
Lazio in control after a shaky start.
After the break Lazio came back on with Vincenzo D’Amico taking Garlaschelli’s place.
The second half saw the Pescaresi constantly going forward but despite good work in midfield they constantly messed up the last pass or were blocked at the edge of the area by Lazio’s defence. Giordano was always lively on the break but in the 81st minute it was the visitors who had the biggest chance. On a Nobili free kick, Negrisolo rose up and headed towards goal but it narrowly missed the target.
A minute later the Eagles closed out the game. Filippo Citterio went down the left wing and put an intelligent vertical pass through the defenders to Vincenzo Zucchini on the other side of the box, the Ferrarese squared it to D'Amico in the area who, despite being surrounded by defenders managed to jiggle and dance his way past them and beat Pinotti with a low left foot. A superb goal. Lazio 2 Pescara 0.
Pescara had nothing more to give and the game petered out with Lazio in complete control. Final score Lazio 2 Pescara 0.
A win dictated by Lazio’s superior quality of players especially up front and in defence. Pescara at a certain point hit a wall while Lazio had players with the class to produce magic out of nothing, Giordano and D'Amico.
Who played for Lazio
Cacciatori, Tassotti, Citterio, Wilson, Manfredonia, Zucchini, Garlaschelli (46' D'Amico), Montesi, Giordano, Nicoli, Viola
Substitutes: Avagliano, Todesco
Manager: Lovati
Who played for Pescara
Pinotti, Chinellato, Prestanti, Boni, E.Pellegrini, Negrisolo, Cerilli, Repetto (66' Di Michele), Silva, Nobili, Cinquetti
Substitutes: Piagnerelli, Lombardo
Manager: Giagnoni
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 11' Giordano, 82' D'Amico
What happened next
After the Paparelli tragedy the 1979-80 season would turn out to be Lazio's "annus horribilis".
On the pitch things were not going too badly until disaster struck. By March Lazio were having an average season but then, on March 23, four Lazio players were arrested after a defeat at Pescara. The players were Giordano, Manfredonia, Wilson and Cacciatori and they were accused of being involved in the "Totonero" (betting scandal). Lazio initially managed to avoid relegation thanks to Vincenzo D'Amico leading a team full of youth players to victory over Catanzaro but then Lazio were punished for their players' alleged involvement in the scandal and relegated anyway, along with Milan. Lazio had won 5, drew 15 and lost 10.
In Coppa Italia Lazio were eliminated in the quarters by Torino on penalties. Top scorer was Giordano with 9 league goals.
Giordano and Manfredonia would not play again until 1982 and only because of the World Cup winning armistice. Lazio would spend three years in the purgatory of Serie B and only get promoted in 1982-83 (with the help of Giordano and Manfredonia).
Pescara then improved and in the next five matches won two (Napoli 1-0 and Milan 2-1, both at home), drew two (Bologna 0-0 at home, Catanzaro 1-1 away) and lost one (Torino 0-2 away). Then, however, the Adriatici lost the following seven games. They eventually finished bottom after 4 wins (including Lazio 2-0, on infamous March 23), drew 8 and lost 18. Despite the Totonero saga, coming last they were unable to wangle themselves out of relegation. The Dolphins would not reappear in Serie A waters again until 1987. Top scorer was Nobili with 5 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Inter for the 12th time. Going down were obviously Pescara, Milan and Lazio.
Lazio 1979-80
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 30 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 21 |
Coppa Italia | 6 | 3 | 3 | - | 9 |
Total | 36 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 30 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Citterio | 36 | 30 | 6 |
D'Amico | 33 | 28 | 5 |
Viola | 33 | 28 | 5 |
Tassotti | 32 | 27 | 5 |
Zucchini | 30 | 25 | 5 |
Cacciatori | 30 | 24 | 6 |
Top goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Giordano | 12 | 9 | 3 |
D'Amico | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Garlaschelli | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Zucchini | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Let's talk about Maurizio Montesi
Maurizio Montesi was born in Rome, on July 26, 1957.
He came through the Lazio youth sector in the years that produced players such as Bruno Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia and Andrea Agostinelli. Lazio and Montesi won the "Primavera" (U19) Scudetto in 1976.
In 1976-77 he was part of the Lazio first team squad but never made his debut under LuÃs Vinicio. Lazio had a good midfield including Fernando Viola, Ciccio Cordova, Andrea Agostinelli and Vincenzo D'Amico and finished 5th. Montesi had stern competition for playing time and did not get along with captain Pino Wilson so he was sent away on loan.
In the 1977-78 season he joined Avellino in Serie B on loan. The manager was former Lazio player and future manager Paolo Carosi. Avellino had a fantastic season and conquered a historic promotion to Serie A. Montesi played 21 league games and 4 in Coppa Italia. He played alongside future Lazio Vincenzo Chiarenza and Mario Piga.
Off the field however things were different. Montesi was not your stereotypical football player. He was openly left wing, cultured and socially active. He did not integrate well in the closed, privileged environment of football. He publicly criticized the football world's wheeling and dealing.
In 1978-79 he stayed with the "Lupi" (The Wolves), under former Lazio player Rino Marchesi. The Biancoverdi had a good season and finished 10th in Serie A (beating Milan and Inter 1-0 at home and drawing 3-3 away to Juventus). Montesi played 20 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia. One of his teammates was future Lazio Paolo Beruatto.
Off the field however his alternative lifestyle and anti-conformist ideas continued to clash with the secretive, conservative and money-oriented world of "Calcio". In an interview with "Lotta Continua" (The extreme left wing party's newspaper) he accused the club of using football for personal gain and the fans of basically wasting time following the sport rather than more important social problems. In another interview with the "Panorama" weekly magazine he accused the club of supporting the violent "Ultras" with financial help and politicians of having no interest in solving the problem. He criticized the system from within and pointed his finger at the excessive money grabbing aspect of the sport. He obviously had to leave Avellino.
In 1979 he returned to Rome and Lazio. He seemingly slotted in well and played regularly under Bob Lovati. He was predictably one of the few who thought the derby where a Lazio fan, Vincenzo Paparelli, was tragically killed should not go ahead. All in all, however he integrated surprisingly well, allegedly even becoming friends with Bruno Giordano and seeing some players socially.
On February 24 1980 however, disaster struck. In an away match at Cagliari, in a tackle with Giuseppe Bellini, he broke his shin and fibula. It was the end of his season. He had played 19 league games and 6 in Coppa Italia.
Off the field he anticipated the Totonero scandal in an interview with "La Repubblica" newspaper. From his hospital bed, off the record, he told a journalist friend his truth of the soon to be scandal accusing Pino Wilson of match fixing in exchange for money. This journalist then published an article about what Montesi had said and even had a recording. When the scandal finally erupted, Montesi was suspended for four months for failure to report. An unfair sentence considering he was one of the few who blew the whistle on the supposed corruption in football. Fortunately, it was summer and unfortunately, he was injured anyway. He also received continuous threats for his actions. In the court case he finally and unwillingly confessed what he knew of the match fixing. He had known and they had even tried to rope him in but he had refused and feigned an injury not to play the infamous match (Lazio -Milan). In the end he falsely accused captain Pino Wilson of being the ring leader. He was at the end of his career and possibly in agreement with the club directors was "sacrificed" to save the younger players with a career ahead of them.
The truth eventually came out and Wilson after years of self-imposed exile, due to the shame, was rehabilitated by Lazio fans and returned to the Lazio family before his death in 2022.
In 1981-82 with Lazio still in Serie B Montesi made his comeback. The manager was Ilario Castagner and then, from February 7, Roberto Clagluna. Lazio had a poor season finishing 11th and Montesi played 4 league games.
The following season, again under Roberto Clagluna, saw the return of Bruno Giordano and Lionello Manfredonia after their Totonero bans. Montesi had played 7 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia when luck turned its back on him again. In a home game against Sambenedettese, on February 27, he broke the same leg as almost exactly three years earlier. This time it was the end and he was forced to retire at 25. For the record Lazio finally got promoted back to Serie A but there were no celebrations for Montesi.
Montesi then predictably disappeared from the football world. He also literally disappeared physically in 1992. He had organized a large delivery of hashish from Marocco but it went wrong sinking just off Ostia. It was later found by the police but Montesi had already left the country. It appears he lived in Spain for many years but is now back in Rome living in his old neighbourhood, his attempted trafficking lapsed for the law.
Montesi was a central midfielder. He was neither gifted physically, at 1.70 and 67 kilos, nor technically. He was however incredibly hardworking, a humble runner and tackler at the service of the more skilful players. He was a generous, brave and fair player. He had a very unlucky career with two serious injuries, the first in his prime from which he never really recovered. He will also be remembered as a controversial character off the field. He was a footballer with a brain, a social conscience and strong political views, which, in the conservative, materialistic world of football made up of cars, women and money, inevitably made him an outsider.
In his short career he played 42 games in Serie A (19 for Lazio) and 29 in Serie B (11 for Lazio).
Lazio Career
Season | Total Appearances | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1979-80 | 25 | 19 | - | 6 |
1981-82 | 4 | - | 4 | - |
1982-83 | 8 | - | 7 | 1 |
Total | 37 | 19 | 11 | 7 |
Sources
Guy Chiappaventi. La scomparsa del calciatore militante. Milieu, 2022