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Writer's pictureDag Jenkins

October 1, 1972: Fiorentina Lazio 0-1

Garlasca conquers Florence


A Garlaschelli first half goal gives Lazio important win




Source SS Lazio Museum

The season so far


The previous season Lazio had been promoted back to Serie A under the "Il Maestro", Tommaso Maestrelli. Top scorer had been "Long John" Giorgio Chinaglia with 26 goals (21 in B). Lazio had also had the satisfaction of beating Roma in a Coppa Italia game (1-0, Chinaglia).


This season Maestrelli was obviously still the manager but there had been some important changes to the squad. The main players arriving were: goalkeeper Felice Pulici (Novara), defender Sergio Petrelli (a rare deal with Roma), midfielders Mario Frustalupi (Inter), Pierpaolo Manservisi (Napoli-end of loan), Ferruccio Mazzola (Fiorentina- end of loan) and Luciano Re Cecconi (Foggia) plus forward Renzo Garlaschelli (Como).


Leaving were keepers Claudio Bandoni (Catanzaro) and Rosario Di Vincenzo (Brindisi), defender Giuseppe Papadopulo (Brindisi), midfielders Arrigo Dolso (Alessandria), Giuseppe Massa (Inter) and Alessandro Abbondanza (Napoli-end of loan) plus forwards Carlo Facchin (retiring) and Giuliano Fortunato (Lecce).


So quite a lot of changes to the squad. The main sacrifice was letting go of Massa but the arrival of Frustalupi would turn out to be a history changer for Lazio.


In Serie A Lazio made their debut a week earlier and had drawn 0-0 at home to Inter but played well.

 

Fiorentina had finished 5th (UEFA Cup) the previous season under Nils Liedholm. Top scorer was Brazilian and future Lazio, Sergio Clerici with 14 goals (10 in A).

 

This season Liedholm had been confirmed. The new players were: defenders Mario Perego (Napoli), Moreno Roggi (Empoli), young midfielder Giancarlo Antognoni (Asti) plus forwards Emiliano Macchi (Napoli - back from loan), Angelo Sormani (Napoli) and Nello Saltutti (Foggia).

 

Leaving were: defenders Giovanni Botti (Lecco), Ugo Ferrante (Vicenza, after 179 league games), midfielders Dino D'Alessi (Triestina), Salvatore Esposito (Napoli, after 109 league games), Ferruccio Mazzola (Lazio-end of loan) plus forward Luciano Chiarugi (Milan after 140 league games).

 

In Coppa Italia "La Viola" were already out. They had drawn 3 (Cesena 1-1 and Bari 0-0 away and Bologna 2-2 at home) and lost 1 (Monza 0-3 at home).

 

In the UEFA Cup Fiorentina had knocked out Turks Eskişehirspor 5-1 on aggregate. In the round of 32 they would play Vitória Setúbal on October 25 and November 1.

 

In Serie A the Gigliati had won on their debut, defeating Sampdoria 1-0 away with an Orlandini winner.

 

A difficult game to predict today between a solid Serie A side against an ambitious and enthusiastic newly promoted one.


The match: Sunday, October 1, 1972, Stadio Comunale, Florence


A mild and sunny day in the "Città nobile", ideal for a game of football with about 40,000 spectators.

 

Lazio had not won in Florence for 15 years but would also take a point today. The Biancocelesti were still without Vincenzo D'Amico injured while the hosts had no absences.

 

The game started and the first chance was for Fiorentina. In the 2nd minute a Nevio Scala initiative found Sergio Clerici whose shot was saved acrobatically by Felice Pulici.

 

Lazio then took control and dominated the midfield with the Luciano Re Cecconi-Mario Frustalupi-Franco Nanni trio.

 

In the 14th minute Renzo Garlaschelli shaved the crossbar with the keeper beaten.

 

Fiorentina reappeared in the 17th minute when Claudio Merlo crossed and Nello Saltutti's header went just wide.

 

A minute later Lazio got the breakthrough. Re Cecconi found Garlaschelli on the vertex of the area, a position more suitable for a cross than a shot, the Lazio winger stopped the ball and volleyed it under the crossbar on the far post. A superb goal and Fiorentina 0 Lazio 1.

 

Lazio did not defend their lead but chose to attack. The Biancocelesti went close to doubling their lead with Giorgio Chinaglia and Pierpaolo Manservisi. Fiorentina were taken aback by Lazio's confidence and aggressive approach while their star striker Clerici was marked off the field by Giancarlo Oddi. Halftime Fiorentina 0 Lazio 1.

 

A more than deserved lead so far with a superlative box to box performance by Re Cecconi.

 

In the second half Fiorentina inevitably had to throw caution to the wind and throw themselves forward. They went close to equalising in the 61st minute when on a Clerici low cross both Saltutti and Giancarlo De Sisti were centimetres away from the tap-in.

 

The scare pushed Lazio to start attacking again which they did until the end of the game albeit not creating any really dangerous chances. Fiorentina disappeared and never threatened Lazio’s area again. Lazio saw out the game with surprising authority and were applauded off the field by their travelling fans. Final score Fiorentina 0 Lazio 1.

 

An impressive win by Lazio against one of the better Serie A sides in recent years. Lazio had been quicker, more agile and slicker than a disappointing Viola. The first half in particular had shown Lazio were a quality team. In the second they had continued to be in control and were never put in difficulty by the Gigliati.

 

Next up was a big home game against the "Old Lady" of Italian football and reigning champions Juventus.

 

Who played for Fiorentina


Superchi, Galdiolo, Longoni, Scala, Brizi, Orlandini, Merlo, Sormani, Clerici, De Sisti, Saltutti

Substitutes: Migliorini, Perego

Manager: Liedholm

 

Who played for Lazio


Substitutes: Chini, Petrelli

Manager: Maestrelli

 

Referee: Casarin


Goal: 18' Garlaschelli



 What happened next


Lazio drew 1-1 with Juventus and went on to have a wonderful season playing great football. Over the next 27 matches the Biancocelesti won 15, drew 10 and lost 2.

 

This meant that going into the last fixture, the table read: Milan 44, Lazio and Juventus 43. Milan were soon 0-4 down at Verona (Milan had played Cup Winners Cup final midweek) and at halftime Lazio were drawing 0-0 in Naples and Juventus losing 0-1 to Roma, in Rome. A playoff between Lazio and Milan was on the cards. Then unfortunately, almost surely thanks to "financial incentives" and personal interests, Roma stopped playing and lost while Napoli, also apparently paid off by the "Old Lady" played the game of their lives, scored in the 88th minute and acted as if they had won the World Cup.

Juventus overtook both Lazio and Milan.

 

A pity for Lazio but they had played great football and had an excellent season finishing 3rd (UEFA Cup). They also won both derbies (1-0, 2-0). Top scorer was Giorgio Chinaglia with 11 goals (10 in A). The following year would be different but that's another story.

 

Fiorentina finished 4th (UEFA Cup). The Viola then won 15 (including Juventus 2-1 and Milan 3-1 at home), drew 5 (including Lazio 0-0) and lost 8. Top scorer was Sergio Clerici with 18 goals (10 in A).


Fiorentina were knocked out by Vitória Setúbal on away goals and lost the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup to Newcastle United 1-2 at home.

 

With Juventus champions for the 15th time the other verdicts were Atalanta, Palermo and Ternana down to Serie B. Bring on 1973-74...


Lazio 1972-73

Competition

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals Scored

Serie A

30

16

11

3

33

Coppa Italia

4

-

1

3

1

Anglo-Italian Cup

4

-

2

2

4

Total

38

16

14

8

38

Top five appearances

Player

Total

Serie A

Coppa Italia

Anglo-Italian Cup

Chinaglia

37

30

4

3

Oddi

36

30

4

2

Frustalupi

36

30

4

2

Pulici

36

30

4

2

Wilson

36

30

4

2

Top goal scorers

Player

Total

Serie A

Coppa Italia

Anglo-Italian Cup

Chinaglia

13

10

1

2

Nanni

7

7

-

-

Garlaschelli

7

7

-

-

La Rosa

3

2

-

1

Let’s talk about Andrea Chini


Source Lazio Wiki

Andrea Chini was born in Florence on November 6 1948.

 

He arrived at Lazio in 1968 from Grassina Firenze. He spent his first year in the youth team and then in 1969-70 became the 4th keeper behind Rosario Di Vincenzo, Michelangelo Sulfaro and Giorgio Fiorucci. He sat on the bench twice as number 12 that season.

 

In 1970-71 he spent a year at Palestrina, near Rome, on loan in Serie D where he made 31 league appearances.

 

In 1971-72 he went to Alessandria on loan for a season. The Grigi were in Serie C and finished 2nd, narrowly missing out on promotion. Chini played 4 league games. One of his teammates were former Lazio, Giuseppe Lorenzetti (academy and then 1967-69), Claudio Di Pucchio (1966-67 and 1968-69), Gianni Sassaroli (academy and then 1964-65 and 1966-68) and Vincenzo Farinelli (academy and then 1964-66 and 1967-68).

 

In 1972-73 he was back at Lazio and was 3rd keeper behind Felice Pulici and Avelino Moriggi. Chini was on the bench as reserve seven times but never made his debut. Lazio went close to the Scudetto but finished 3rd.

 

In 1973-74 he went on loan to Pro Salerno in Serie D.

 

In 1974-75 he signed for Reggina in Serie C for one year. He played 7 league games and the Amaranto finished 6th under future Lazio sporting director, Carlo Regalia (1986-87 and 1991-92).

 

He then moved to the west coast of Sicily and joined Trapani in Serie C. He stayed four seasons, from 1975 to 1979 and the Granata finished 11th, 5th, 13th and 17th (relegated). Chini played 140 league games. His teammates included former Lazio, Arrigo Dolso (1966-69 and 1970-71).

 

Chini then moved just down the coast to Marsala in C2. He stayed two seasons and the Azzurri finished 12th and 4th. He played 68 league games.

 

His last club was Cosenza, in Calabria, in Serie C2. He only played 1 league game and then retired. The "Lupi della Sila" (Sila Wolves) finished 2nd and were promoted.

 

Chini was a goalkeeper. He played 251 games in his career. At Trapani in particular they have fond memories of him.

 

At Lazio he lived the build up to the epic Scudetto, living that period first hand but he never made his first team debut.


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