November 29, 1987: Lazio -Triestina 2-0
- Dag Jenkins
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Lazio join promotion train
A comfortable win enables the Biancocelesti to join frontrunners
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had dramatically avoided relegation to Serie C. They started the season with a nine-point docking due to one of their player's involvement in the Totonero bis scandal. The manager was Eugenio Fascetti and only a Giuliano Fiorini goal eight minutes from time in the last game of the season and a subsequent win over Campobasso in a three-team playoff allowed them to stay up. The squad were heroes for life at Lazio but another season was about to begin.
Fascetti stayed on and the objective was clearly promotion. The Biancocelesti made some changes to the squad. The main new arrivals were: keeper Silvano Martina (Torino), defender Paolo Beruatto (Torino), midfielders Ciro Muro (Napoli), Gabriele Savino (Vicenza) plus forwards Giuseppe Galderisi (Milan-on loan) and Paolo Monelli (Fiorentina).
Leaving were keepers Mario Ielpo (Cagliari) and Giuliano Terraneo (Lecce), defenders Ernesto Calisti (Fiorentina), Gabriele Podavini (Genoa), Daniele Filisetti (Venezia-Mestre) plus forwards Giuliano Fiorini (Venezia-Mestre), Paolo Mandelli (Inter-end of loan), Fabio Poli (Bologna) and Giampaolo Saurini (Cagliari-on loan). In the autumn Giorgio Magnocavallo also left (Barletta). Some painful departures, especially Podavini, Poli and Fiorini.
Lazio had already started their season in Coppa Italia. They had won 2 (Lecce 1-0 and Casertana 2-0, both at home), drawn 2 (Pisa 0-0 away and Juventus 1-1 at home, then lost on penalties) and lost 1 (Catanzaro 0-5 away) and were eliminated.
The main objective this year was promotion back to Serie A. In the league so far Lazio had played 11 games and had won 4, drawn 4 and lost 3. The Biancocelesti were 10th on 12 points, with Atalanta, Bari and Sambenedettese. The fourth Serie A spot was only one point higher up, Lecce, Padova and Cremonese on 13. It was early days but there were a lot of teams in a few points.
Triestina had finished 11th the previous season under Enzo Ferrari. The Alabardati had drawn 1-1 away to Lazio but won 1-0 at home. The top scorer was Franco De Falco with 7 league goals.
This season the manager was still Ferrari. The main novelties were midfielder Giorgio Papais (Monza) and forward Edy Bivi (Bari). So more or less the same squad as the previous campaign.
The squad included Juventus legend Franco Causio who at 38 was in his second season with Triestina.
Triestina's campaign was complicated by a five-point docking due to financial irregularities. So far, the Giuliani had won 3, drawn 4 and lost 4. Therefore, with the deduction, Triestina were on 5 points and in 19th position (three from safety - Modena and Parma on 8).
Lazio were favourites today but Triestina were practically a mid-table team at the moment so Lazio had to be careful.
The match: Sunday, September 29, 1987, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A drizzly November day gathered about 20,000 at the Olimpico.
Lazio had to do without midfielder Domenico Caso but otherwise had the whole squad available. Triestina were missing midfielder Giorgio Papais.
The visitors, desperate in 19th place, clearly came to Rome to try and pick up a point. They proposed nothing while Lazio went forward albeit not creating much in the first twenty minutes.
Lazio's first threat to the Triestina fort came in the 23rd minute when Paolo Monelli's header was saved into corner by Rino Gandini.
Then Lazio did not create anything until just before halftime. The home fans were starting to get impatient when Maurizio Costantini committed a pointless foul on Giuseppe Galderisi at the edge of the box. Ciro Muro who apparently slotted them in almost blindfolded in training but rarely on the Sunday this time curled a perfect freekick into the top hand corner, 1-0.
Lazio were a goal up at the break. Meanwhile a few minutes before the double whistle the visitors had been forced to replace injured defender Cleto Polonia with winger Vincenzo Di Giovanni.
In the second half the Muli at least tried to go forward. Lazio however seemed to feel at ease playing on the break and almost doubled the score in the 52nd minute when Muro set up Monelli for a header but it went just over the bar.
Triestina's only shot at goal came in the 58th minute when Franco Causio drilled a good shot towards goal but Silvano Martina timed his dive well and saved.
In the 64th minute the Alabardati made their second change bringing on Giampiero Scaglia for Stefano Strappa, both midfielders.
Triestina continued their sterile attacks and it was Lazio again who went closer. In the 70th minute Monelli got away from two defenders but his shot shaved the post.
The second goal came three minutes later. It was Muro again who set it up on the break, the Neapolitan dummied a long ball but then instead pushed it to his right where Gabriele Pin charged forward and in front of the keeper hit it low on the far post, 2-0.
The game had nothing more to say but just in case Eugenio Fascetti took off Galderisi in the 77th minute and Antonio Acerbis in the 87th and put on midfielder Vincenzo Esposito and defender Luca Brunetti.
An easy win for Lazio who had not needed many chances to beat the negative guests, just to convert the few they had. Triestina would have to be more positive if they wanted to overcome the handicap in the difficult season that faced them.
Lazio were now 8th, on 14 points with Atalanta and Catanzaro and only one point from the last promotion slots (four teams on 15).
Triestina were still 19th on 5 points but now four from safety (Modena and Parma on 9).
Who played for Lazio
Martina, Marino, Beruatto, Pin, Gregucci, Piscedda, Savino, Muro, Galderisi (77' Esposito), Acerbis (87' Brunetti), Monelli
Manager: Fascetti
Who played for Triestina
Gandini, Costantini, Polonia (40' Giovanni), Dal Prà, Cerone, Biagini, Strappa (64' Scaglia), Cinello, Causio, Orlando
Substitutes: Cortiula, Marchesan, Santonocito
Manager: Ferrari
Referee: Pucci
Goals: 44' Muro, 73' Pin
What happened next
Lazio managed to win promotion. With a 3rd place finish the Biancocelesti went back up to Serie A after three difficult seasons in the "purgatory" of Serie B and even risking worse. Lazio ha
It was not easy and it was touch and go all season. In the remaining 26 games Lazio won 10, drew 13 and lost 3 (including Triestina 0-1).
On June 19, in an Olimpico already undergoing heavy restoration for Italia '90, Lazio defeated Taranto 3-1 to book their ticket back in the big time. Lazio have been in Serie A ever since. Top scorer was Paolo Monelli with 14 goals (13 in B).
Triestina ended up relegated in 19th place. They played catch up all season but ultimately lost their battle. Without the deduction, however, they would have stayed up (14th). In the next 26 games they won 8 (including Lazio 1-0), drew 7 and lost 11. The top scorer was Bivi with 10 league goals.
Lazio went up with champions Bologna plus Atalanta and Lecce.
Triestina went down with Modena and Arezzo.
Let's talk about Franco Causio
Today in our opponents series we will talk about the great Juventus and Italy attacking midfielder.
Franco Causio was born in Lecce, on February 1, 1949.
He started his professional career with his hometown club in Salento, Lecce. The Giallorossi were in Serie C and he played 3 league games in 1964-65 under Ambrogio Alfonso. The "Lupi" (Wolves) finished 12th.
The following year he joined Sambenedettese in the same league. He played slightly more, 13 league games, under Alberto Riliani and the Rossoblu finished 3rd.
In 1966, at 17, he signed for Juventus but in two seasons only played one league game, under Heriberto Herrera. The Bianconeri won the Scudetto in 1967 and reached the European semi-final in 1968 (Benfica 0-3 with two Eusebio goals).
In 1968 Causio was sent to Reggina in Serie B on loan. He played 30 league games and scored 5 goals. The manager was Armando Segato and the Amaranto finished 5th.
In 1969 he joined Palermo on loan in Serie A. In Sicily he played 22 league games with 3 goals (Inter, Verona, Roma) and 3 games in Coppa Italia with 1 goal (Catania). The Rosanero finished 15th under Carmelo Di Bella. His teammates included future Lazio manager Edy Reja (2010-12, 2014) and legendary former Lazio goalkeeper Idilio Cei (1958-68).
In 1970 he returned to Juventus and this time stayed. He played eleven seasons for the Bianconeri. It was a successful period with 6 league titles (1972, '73, '75, '77, '78, '81), a Coppa Italia (1979) and a UEFA Cup (1977) Juventus also reached the European Cup final in 1973 but lost 0-1 to Ajax. He played 452 total games (305 in A) with 72 goals (49 in A). His managers were Armando Picchi, Čestmir Vycpálek, Carlo Parola and from 1976 Giovanni Trapattoni.
In 1981 at 32 he left Turin and joined Udinese and stayed three years. The Friulani finished 11th, 6th and 9th. Enzo Ferrari was the manager for all three seasons. Causio played 101 games (83 in A) with16 goals (11 in A In the last season Causio played alongside the great Brazilian Zico.
In 1984 he made a surprise move to Inter. He stayed one season under former Lazio Ilario Castagner and the Nerazzurri finished 3rd. Causio played 41 games (24 in A) with 3 goals (1 in Coppa Italia and 2 in the UEFA Cup).
In 1985 he moved back home and joined Lecce. He played 33 games (26 in A) with 3 goals (all in A-Atalanta, Avellino, Como). The manager was Eugenio Fascetti and the Giallorossi ended up 16th and relegated. The Salentini however gave themselves and all Lazio fans a satisfaction when on April 20 they defeated Roma 3-2 in Rome which virtually cost Roma the Scudetto.
Causio's last club was Triestina in Serie B. He stayed two seasons, playing 69 games (64 in B) with 5 goals (all in B). The Alabardati finished 11th and 19th (relegated but with 5-point docking) His manager was Enzo Ferrari again in both seasons.
At 39 he then retired.
Causio also had a successful career with the Italian national side. He earned 63 caps with 6 goals (Romania, Luxembourg, Brazil, Argentina, Romania and Poland). He took part in three World Cups (1974, '78, '82). In 1982 Italy triumphed under Enzo Bearzot and Causio made two appearances (including the last few minutes of the final in the 3-1 win over West Germany). He will also be remembered as being one of the three immortalised in an iconic photo when involved playing a game of cards with President Sandro Pertini on the plane back from Spain (the other two were Dino Zoff and head coach Bearzot) with the trophy also on the table.
After retiring he settled in Udine and opened a sports shop. He then worked as team manager for various clubs including Udinese. He has also worked in punditry for Sky Sport and Udinese TV and written a book with journalist Italo Cucci, 'Vincere ė l'unica cosa che conta' (Winning is all that matters).
Causio was an attacking midfielder who often played on the right wing in his number 7 shirt. He was 1.70 and 68 kilos but physically strong. He had excellent ball control, dribbling skills and a precise cross. He could cover the wing and put in good assists for the strikers. He was nicknamed "Il Barone" and was easily recognisable for his bushy moustache. The main rival in his role was Torino's Claudio Sala who was more flamboyant but Bearzot tended to prefer the more solid Causio, also as he was part of the "blocco Juve" (making up the bulk of the national team at the time). He will be remembered as a Juventus great and one of the best Italian players of the 1970's.
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