October 5, 1997: Inter-Lazio 1-1
Lazio clinch point at leaders Inter
A half each but Inter equalise with a Francesco "Louganis" Moriero dive and consequent Ronaldo penalty
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), Roberto Baronio (on loan to Vicenza), Alessandro Iannuzzi (Lecce) plus forwards Marco Di Vaio (Salernitana) and Igor Protti (Napoli-on loan). Sadly Beppe Signori would leave in December (Sampdoria).
Lazio had debuted in Serie A on August 31 and beaten Napoli 2-0 at home (Mancini, Pancaro). They then drew 1-1 with Milan away, lost 0-1 at Empoli and recently beat Bari 3-2 at home (with two late Signori goals). Lazio were on 7 points and in joint 6th place with Atalanta and Vicenza.
In the UEFA Cup they started against Vitória Guimarães and won 6-1 om aggregate. Next up were Rotor Volgograd (Russia).
In the Coppa Italia they had knocked out Fidelis Andria 6-2 on aggregate. Next up were Napoli.
Inter had finished 3rd the previous season. They had started with Roy Hodgson (1-32) and finished with Luciano Castellini (33-34) as manager. They had drawn 1-1 at home against Lazio and 2-2 away. Inter had reached the UEFA Cup final but lost 1-2 on aggregate to Schalke 04. The top scorer was Maurizio Ganz with 20 total goals while only in Serie A it was Youri Djorkaeff with 14.
This season the manager was former Lazio Gigi Simoni. The main new arrivals were: defenders Luigi Sartor (Vicenza) and Taribo West (Auxerre), midfielders Benoît Cauet (PSG), Francesco Moriero (Roma), Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid) and Zé Elias (Bayer Leverkusen) plus forwards Álvaro Recoba (Nacional Montevideo) and Ronaldo (Barcelona). In January they would add midfielder Paulo Sousa (Borussia Dortmund).
Leaving were; defender Jocelyn Angloma (Valencia), midfielders Paul Ince (Liverpool) and Ciriaco Sforza (Kaiserslautern) plus forwards Marco Delvecchio (Roma) and Arturo Di Napoli (Vicenza-on loan). In January midfielder Nicola Berti would leave after 311 games (Tottenham).
Inter were currently top of the table on 12 points. The Nerazzurri had won 4 out of 4 (Brescia 2-1 and Fiorentina 3-2 at home, Bologna 4-2 and Lecce 5-1 away).
In the Coppa Italia they had eliminated Foggia 4-2 and next up were Piacenza.
In the UEFA Cup they had qualified for the round of 32 by beating Neuchâtel 4-0 on aggregate. Next up were Olympique Lyonnais.
An extremely difficult game for Lazio today. They had not been playing particularly well and they played league leaders away.
The match: Sunday, October 5, 1997, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
A hot evening in Milan saw about 65,000 spectators turn up at the Stadio Meazza formerly known as San Siro.
Lazio had no real absences apart from defender Beppe Favalli and midfielder Giorgio Venturin.
Inter were without defender Taribo West, midfielder Zé Elias and forward Ivan Zamorano.
Inter pushed forward in the early stages. In the 9th minute Youri Djorkaeff cleverly put Javier Zanetti through on goal on the left but he shot with his right instead of his left and Luca Marchegiani caught it easily.
Lazio gradually grew into the game with some neat passing and Diego Fuser tried his luck from the distance but his shot was weak and central.
The Biancocelesti were more dangerous in the 16th minute when Roberto Mancini verticalised to Pavel Nedved in the area on the right but the Czech was anticipated by a last ditch tackle by Fabio Galante out for a corner.
Lazio combined well in midfield with quick, precise passes. Beppe Signori teed up Nedved but his powerful shot was sliced and went wide. In the 23rd minute Signori then freed himself well in the area but his shot whistled over the bar.
Lazio insisted with an ambitious Nedved left-footed volley well high. In the 35th minute Lazio got the goal they deserved. Fuser and Mancini combined well and Mancio poked the ball forward to Nedved who did well to hold off Salvatore Fresi, burst into the area and beat Gianluca Pagliuca with a precise, low strike to the keepers right, 0-1.
Inter reacted by throwing themselves forward. In the 38th minute, from a free kick from the left, Galante headed towards goal where Diego Simeone was unable to get enough power on his close range flick and Marchegiani saved.
In the 40th minute Ronaldo tried to go round Marchegiani but the ball fell loose and was picked up by Francesco Moriero who dived over the keeper, trailed his leg and collapsed in the area. An impressive theatrical performance which the referee fell for. Ronaldo took the penalty and sent Marchegiani the wrong way with a near perfect spot kick, 1-1.
A pity as Lazio had been the better team.
In the second half Inter looked sharper and Ronaldo in particular caused havoc in the Lazio defence. Fortunately for Lazio the Inter midfielders did not provide him with much service.
In the 51st minute Zanetti crossed from the left to the far post where "Il fenomeno" brought it down beautifully and poked a low shot which Marchegiani managed to palm away for a corner.
Lazio occasionally threatened on the counter attack but Paolo Negro wasted an opportunity by neither shooting nor crossing, going for something in between.
Ronaldo was dangerous every time he received the ball as in the the 62nd minute when he chested the ball down and turned and volleyed in a split second but the ball went wide or in the 63rd when he brilliantly went through both Negro and Nesta but his low effort was blocked by Marchegiani.
Meanwhile in the 62nd minute Lazio took off Nedved and put on Roberto Rambaudi while in the 69th they replaced Signori with Alen Boksic.
The Croat immediately set up Rambaudi on the right in the area but his chip was only half height and Pagliuca blocked.
In the 74th minute Inter substituted "El Cholo" Simeone with forward Maurizio Ganz to increase their fire power.
The game slowed down as both teams tired. Lazio brought on Gigi Casiraghi for Mancini while Inter introduced Benoît Cauet for Djorkaeff.
Inter had one more attempt but Moriero's first time shot from the edge of the box was a commendable effort but flew over the bar. Final score: Inter 1 Lazio 1.
A fair result in the end despite the generous penalty for the hosts. Lazio had been more impressive in the first half but Inter had been more dominant in the second.
A comforting evening for Lazio who had held their own against the leaders and who knows without Moriero's Oscar performance they may even have come away with a win.
Inter were still top on 13 points (+2 on Roma, Parma and Juventus) while Lazio were on 8 and still joint 6th (with Sampdoria and Vicenza).
Next up for Lazio was a home game against Atalanta while Inter would travel to Napoli.
Who played for Inter
Pagliuca, Bergomi, Sartor, Galante, Zanetti, Moriero, Winter, Fresi, Simeone (74' Ganz), Ronaldo, Djorkaeff (86' Cauet)
Substitutes: Nuzzo, West, Mezzano, Berti, Recoba
Manager: Simoni
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Negro, Nesta, G.Lopez, Pancaro, Fuser, Almeyda, Jugovic, Nedved (62' Rambaudi), Mancini (81' Casiraghi), Signori (69' Boksic)
Manager: Eriksson
Referee: Treossi
Goals: 35' Nedved, 41' Ronaldo (pen)
What happened next
A week later Lazio lost 0-2 at home to Atalanta and their season continued to be up and down despite an epic 3-1 derby win in ten men. In mid-December however they really hit top gear and from then until early April had 12 wins and 4 draws. Lazio 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 Roma four times! Twice in the league (the 3-1 and 2-0) and twice in the Coppa Italia (4-1 and 2-1), a record which has yet to be rivaled.
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 worn out Lazio were well beaten 0-3 by Ronaldo's Inter on May 6 at the Parc des Princes.
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), 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 on April 29 in Rome seemed to be heading in Milan's favour too when a Demetrio Albertini freekick put the Rossoneri 1-0 up just after 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.
Inter finished 2nd in Serie A. They then won 17 (including Napoli 2-0 away, a derby 3-0 and Juventus 1-0 at home), drew 5 (including the other derby 2-2) and lost 7 (including Lazio 0-3). They also lost the controversial decisive game away to Juventus 0-1 on April 26 when they were denied a clear penalty on Ronaldo. The top scorer was Ronaldo with 34 goals (25 in A)
In the Coppa they then eliminated Piacenza 3-1 but lost to Milan 1-5 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
As mentioned, things went better in the UEFA Cup. The Nerazzurri eliminated Olympique Lyonnais 4-3, Strasbourg 3-2, Schalke 04 2-1 (aet) and Spartak Moscow 5-1 to reach the final. They beat a tired Lazio 3-0 to lift their 3rd UEFA Cup (after 1991 and 1994).
Let's talk about Youri Djorkaeff
Youri Raffi Djorkaeff was born in Lyon, on March 9 1968. His father was French with Polish and Kalmyk origins while his mother was Armenian.
His first professional club was Grenoble. He stayed five seasons from 1984 to 1989. The club were in the D2 (second tier of French football) for four seasons and one in CN (3rd tier). He played 87 games and scored 24 goals.
In August 1989 he signed for Strasbourg also in D2. He stayed just over a season with les bleau et blanc, playing 41 games with 27 goals. In his full season Racing finished 2nd in Group under three different managers; Gérard Banide (1-7), Albert Gemmrich (8) and Léonard Specht (9-38).
In November 1990 he moved to the top flight and joined Monaco. He stayed five seasons, making 196 appearances with 67 goals (in 1992-93 joint top league scorer with 20 goals). "Les Rouges et Blancs" finished 2nd twice, 3rd, 9th and 6th. In 1991 they won their 5th French Cup (Olympique Marseille 1-0) while in 1994 they reached the semifinals of the Champions League (eventual winners Milan 0-3). His managers were Arsene Wenger for four seasons and then Jean-Luc Ettori and Gérard Banide. Djorkaeff's performances attracted the attention of some big European clubs but he stayed in France.
In 1995 he signed for Paris Saint-Germain. The Parisians finished 2nd under manager Luis Miguel Fernández. PSG won silverware however as they lifted the Cup Winners Cup (Rapid Vienna 1-0). Djorkaeff played 47 games and scored 20 goals.
In 1995 he moved to the Italian Serie A, still considered the top European league at the time. He joined Inter and stayed three seasons. He played 127 games and scored 39 goals. One of his goals, against Roma in 1997, is considered one of the best in the history of football. He produced a stunning bicycle kick from an impossible angle. The Nerazzurri finished 3rd, 2nd and 8th but in 1998 won the UEFA Cup (Lazio 3-0). His managers were Roy Hodgson, briefly in two stints Luciano Castellini, Gigi Simoni and Mircea Lucescu. He played alongside Lazio connections Aron Winter (1992-96), Diego Simeone (1999-2003), Francesco Colonnese (2000-04) and Ousmane Dabo (2003-06, 2008-10).
In 1998 he left Italy and joined Kaiserslautern in Germany. He stayed two and a half seasons and Die Roten Teufel (Red Devils) finished 5th, 8th and 7th (but he had already left). He played 70 games with 18 goals. In 2001 they reached the UEFA Cup semifinals but lost 2-9 to Alavés. His managers were Otto Rehhagel and Andreas Brehme. The squads included Lazio connections Igli Tare (2005-08 and then sporting director 2008-2023) and Miroslav Klose (2011-16).
In January 2002 he moved to the Premier League and joined Bolton Wanderers. He stayed that season and two more. He played 81 games and scored 21 goals. The Trotters finished 16th, 17th and 8th. In 2004 they reached the final of the League Cup but lost 1-2 to Middlesbrough. His manager was Sam Allardyce.
In 2004 he stayed in north-west England and signed for Blackburn Rovers. He only played 3 league games under Graeme Souness (1-4), Tony Parkes (5) and then Mark Hughes and he left Lancashire in January. Blackburn eventually finished 15th and reached the FA Cup semifinals (Arsenal 0-3).
In January 2005 he went for an experience in the USA. He signed for the New York Metro Stars who then became the New York Red Bulls. He stayed two seasons as captain and the Metros finished 4th and 5th in the Eastern Conference and both years were eliminated in the playoff quarterfinals. He played 49 games with 13 goals. His managers were Mo Johnson, Richie Williams briefly and Bruce Arena.
Djorkaeff then retired at 38.
At international level he earned 82 caps for France and scored 28 goals (11th all time). He won a World Cup in 1998, a European Championship in 2000 and a Confederations Cup in 2001.
Since retiring he has settled in New York where he runs the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation and also manages an Inter Campus.
Djorkaeff was an attacking midfielder. He was called a number 9.5 as he was something between a midfielder and forward. He excelled as both, he was skillful, classy with an extraordinary sense of position and movement. He had refined dribbling skills and was also good at free kicks. He was nicknamed "The Snake". His goal against Roma is legendary in Italy.
He never won a league title but won cups including the biggest accolade of all, the World Cup.
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