October 6, 2002: Atalanta Lazio 0-1
Cesar Strikes as Lazio Grind Out Another Away Win
Cesar’s first-half strike and a rock-solid defensive display earns Lazio a deserved away win in Bergamo.
The season so far
The previous season had not been a positive one. Lazio had started under Dino Zoff but after three games changed manager and President Sergio Cragnotti chose Alberto Zaccheroni. The new coach, however, never managed to set the sail straight. Struggling to find a minimum of game organisation, the team just did not have the continuity necessary to reach the top positions. In the end they did manage a UEFA Cup qualification thanks to a win in the last game against Inter which shattered the Neroazzurri’s hopes of winning the scudetto.
For this season there was the return of Roberto Mancini, this time as manager. There were high hopes among the Lazio fans but Cragnotti was having considerable financial difficulties and someone had to be sold. The first player who everybody had their eyes on was obviously Alessandro Nesta. Cragnotti hoped that Milan, Inter and Juventus would battle to the end to get the greatest defender of all time and that the price would be really high. Instead there was a secret pact between them to get the player for a much lower price than his real value. All three clubs waited until the very last moments of the transfer window to force Lazio to accept a low price. Milan won and Cragnotti was forced to agree to a mere €31 million. At this point a second player had to go and that was Hernan Crespo who was sold to Inter in exchange of €36 million and Bernardo Corradi.
Other signings had been Massimo Oddo and Christian Manfredini from Chievo, Enrico Chiesa on a free transfer, and Juan Pablo Sorin, on loan from Cruzeiro. Leaving Lazio were Ivan de La Pena to Espanyol and Gaizka Mendieta on loan to Barcelona plus Karel Poborsky who had decided not to renew his contract.
Lazio had started the Serie A campaign badly losing at home to Chievo, but they had then won away at Torino and drawn at home with Milan.
The match: Sunday, October 6, 2002, Stadio Atleti Azurri d’Italia, Bergamo
Lazio made it back-to-back away victories with a disciplined 1–0 win over Atalanta in Bergamo, building on the previous success at Torino. Roberto Mancini’s side were far from spectacular, but they showed the organisation, tactical maturity and defensive solidity needed to control a game that became increasingly one-sided after Cesar’s first-half goal.
The opening twenty minutes were the most difficult for the Biancocelesti. Atalanta started aggressively, pressing Lazio deep and looking to exploit the flanks. Damiano Zenoni, Alex Pinardi and Carmine Gautieri combined well in the 16th minute, with Gautieri’s cross deflected behind by Jaap Stam, while two minutes later Pinardi’s free-kick found Paolo Foglio close to goal. Luca Marchegiani reacted quickly to prevent the home side from taking advantage.
Lazio, however, were patient. Rather than forcing the issue, Mancini’s team looked to draw Atalanta forward and then exploit the space behind them. The plan paid off in the 24th minute.
After winning possession in midfield, Dejan Stankovic surged down the left and slipped through Cesar. The Brazilian raced into the area and beat Massimo Taibi with a precise diagonal finish. It was a beautifully constructed move and, more importantly, the goal changed the entire complexion of the match.
Atalanta appeared to lose confidence almost immediately. Lazio, meanwhile, grew in authority and began to dictate the tempo. Giuliano Giannichedda provided protection in front of the defence, Diego Simeone was free to make occasional runs forward, while Stefano Fiore and Stankovic continually switched positions to create numerical advantages.
The Biancocelesti could have doubled their lead before the interval. Sinisa Mihajlovic twice came close with his trademark free-kicks, while Bernardo Corradi and Claudio López were unable to make the most of promising situations in front of goal. Taibi was also forced into several interventions to keep the deficit to one.
Giovanni Vavassori reacted at half-time by abandoning his initial attacking structure. Pinardi and Gautieri were withdrawn, with Pià and Rolando Bianchi introduced to give greater support to Fausto Rossini. The changes produced more attacking numbers but little improvement in Atalanta’s ability to break through Lazio’s defensive organisation.
Mancini’s side were happy to slow the game down. Lazio no longer needed to take risks and instead relied on their compact shape and collective work. Fernando Couto was dominant in the air, Stam provided strength alongside him and Mihajlovic combined experience with an increasingly important role in organising the defence.
There were occasional chances at both ends, but Lazio remained in control. After Simeone was replaced by Lucas Castroman, Stankovic moved into a more central role while Fiore operated from the left. Castroman himself tested Taibi from distance, forcing the goalkeeper to turn the shot behind, while Mihajlovic continued to threaten from set pieces.
Atalanta's attempts to force an equaliser became increasingly desperate. Their aerial attacks were comfortably dealt with by Lazio’s defence, and Marchegiani was rarely troubled after the early stages. The hosts' lack of creativity was particularly evident in the absence of Cristiano Doni, while Lazio's constant pressure and defensive covering left them with few opportunities to build meaningful attacks.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved victory for Mancini's side. Lazio had won without needing to produce their most spectacular football, instead relying on tactical discipline, intelligent possession and a defence that gave Atalanta almost nothing after Cesar's decisive strike.
Cesar provided the decisive moment; the rest of the team provided the control. In Bergamo, Lazio showed that they could win without having to dominate the scoreboard.
Who played for Atalanta
Taibi, Sala, Carrera, Natali, Foglio, Zenoni, Berretta, Zauri, Gautieri (46' Pià), Pinardi (46' Bianchi), Rossini (66' Dabo)
Substitutes: Calderoni, Rustico, Espinal, Breviario
Manager: Vavassori
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Stam, Couto, Mihajlovic, Cesar, Fiore, Giannichedda, Simeone (63' Castroman), Stankovic, Corradi (87' Favalli), C.Lopez (71' S.Inzaghi)
Substitutes: Peruzzi, Oddo, Negro, Manfredini
Manager: Mancini
Referee: Treossi
Goal: 24’ Cesar
What happened next
In Serie A Lazio did rather well. At one point, they were top of the table after recovering from a 0-2 deficit and winning 3-2 at Piacenza. But in the next match against Inter they only managed to draw 3-3 after being 3-0 up after the first half. Not to worry, Mancini’s boys then managed to win in Turin against Juventus. At the end of the first part of the season Lazio were joint second with Inter and just three points behind Juve.
But in February the Biancocelesti faded, and had a seven-match winless drought, taking away any chance of a scudetto. A Champions League qualification was hence the objective and that was reached with one game to the end with a 3-1 win over Brescia.
In the Coppa Italia, the Biancocelesti reached the semi-final but were knocked out by Roma. They also reached the semifinal of the UEFA Cup but they lost 4-1 in the first leg 4-1 and were unable to score the necessary three goals at home to get to the final (0-0).
There was a change in the Presidency in early 2003. Some of Cragnotti’s companies went bust and the banks did not lend a hand. Lazio were also dragged into the crisis and the Presidency passed over to Ugo Longo who was a member of the Board of Directors. With the help of Luca Baraldi, the new presidency avoided bankruptcy. Just.
Let’s talk about Oreste Cinquini
Oreste Cinquini was born in Viareggio on October 16, 1947.
He began his involvement in football as a goalkeeper, playing for amateur clubs in Tuscany, including Forte dei Marmi. He also represented the Italy amateur national team and later worked as a coach, but it was as a sporting director that he would establish himself in Italian professional football.
Cinquini began his career as a football administrator with Viareggio, where he worked from 1988 to 1994. His first major Serie A appointment came at Fiorentina in 1994. During four seasons in Florence, he was part of the club's successful period under Vittorio Cecchi Gori and helped build the squad that won the Coppa Italia in 1996. Among the players he was particularly proud of bringing to Florence was Portuguese midfielder Rui Costa.
In 1998, Cinquini moved to Bologna, where he spent four seasons working alongside coaches including Carlo Mazzone, Sergio Buso and Francesco Guidolin. He subsequently joined Lazio in 2002, beginning a two-year spell as the club's sporting director.
At Lazio, Cinquini worked closely with Roberto Mancini, who became head coach in 2002. His second season in Rome, 2003–04, proved particularly successful as the campaign ended with Lazio winning the Coppa Italia. The Biancocelesti eliminated Milan in the semi-finals before defeating Juventus 4–2 on aggregate in the final. They also finished sixth in Serie A, securing qualification for the UEFA Cup.
After leaving Lazio in 2004, Cinquini briefly worked at Udinese and then Parma. He later became director general at Cagliari, before returning to Serie B with Pisa and subsequently working with Venezia. At Venezia, he helped the club win promotion before accepting an offer to join Fabio Capello's staff with the Russian national team in 2012.
Cinquini subsequently spent several years working in Russia. In 2017 he became sporting director of Zenit St Petersburg, later moving into an assistant sporting-director role.
His Lazio period therefore occupies an important place in a long career spanning more than three decades. His two seasons in Rome coincided with the beginning of the Mancini era and culminated in the 2004 Coppa Italia triumph, giving Cinquini another major trophy to add to the one he had already won with Fiorentina.
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