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Writer's pictureDag Jenkins

October 7, 1990: Lazio Bologna 3-1

Updated: 5 days ago

First win of season


Lazio win 3-1 but it was not pretty.




Official SS Lazio photo

The season so far


The previous season Lazio had finished a decent 9th in their second year back in Serie A. The highlights had been beating Milan 1-0 away and eventual champions Napoli 3-0 at home. Top scorer was Amarildo with 9 goals (8 in A, with Ruben Sosa).


This year manager Giuseppe Materazzi had been replaced by living legend Dino Zoff, who had perhaps a little unfairly been released by Juventus.


The summer market had brought a few novelties to the squad. In defence Lazio welcomed Roberto Bacci (Mantova) while in midfield Sergio Domini had been added (Cesena). It was in attack however that the main changes occurred; Armando Madonna was signed (Atalanta) and more excitingly, German striker Karl-Heinz Riedle was to wear the Lazio jersey (Werder Bremen).


The main sacrifice, for economic reasons, was local lad and derby hero Paolo Di Canio (Juventus). Forward Amarildo (Cesena) and three defenders, Paolo Beruatto (Mantova), Marco Monti (Atalanta) and Massimo Piscedda (Avellino) had also left.


Lazio's season had started in early September in Coppa Italia and brought a shock defeat to second tier Modena, 1-3 on aggregate.

 

In Serie A Lazio had started slowly with 3 draws (Torino 0-0 away on debut, Parma 0-0 and Milan 1-1, both at home) and 1 defeat (Lecce 0-1 away). Lazio were currently 13th on 3 points. It was time for a win and some goals.

 

Bologna had finished a positive 8th (UEFA Cup) the previous season, under Luigi Maifredi. Top scorer was former Lazio and club legend Bruno Giordano with 9 goals (7 in A).

 

This season the manager was Franco Scoglio as Maifredi had left for Juventus. The main new players were: defender Pietro Mariani (Brescia), future Lazio Paolo Negro (Brescia) and Rufo Verga (Milan), Roberto Tricella (Juventus), midfielders Lajos Détári (Olympiakos), Pierluigi Di Già (Inter), Egidio Notaristefano (Como), Marco Schenardi (Ospitaletto - on loan) plus forwards Giuseppe Lorenzo (Catanzaro - back from loan) and Kubilay Türkilmaz (Servette).

 

Leaving were: defenders Gianluca Luppi (Juventus), Marco De Marchi (Juventus), midfielders Ivano Bonetti (Sampdoria, he would be back), Carlo Troscè (Trento - on loan), Paolo Stringara (Inter) plus former Lazio forwards Bruno Giordano (Ascoli) and Lorenzo Marronaro (Udinese).

 

Two interesting players in the squad were Fabio Poli and Antonio Cabrini. Poli had played for Lazio from 1985-87 and scored a crucial goal in the Serie B relegation playoffs on July 5 1987 against Campobasso without which Lazio may not even have been playing today. Another was Cabrini who had played 442 games for Juventus, 73 times for Italy and won a World Cup in 1982.

 

Bologna, like Lazio, had debuted their season in Coppa Italia but unlike Lazio had qualified defeating Reggiana 4-2 on aggregate. The Rossoblu would now play another derby against Modena in November.

 

The Rossoblu had also got through the UEFA Cup round of 64 by beating Zaglębie Lubin from Poland 2-0 on aggregate. Next up were Hearts from Edinburgh.

 

In Serie A the Felsinei had started badly with 3 consecutive defeats (Pisa 0-1 at home on debut, Inter 0-1 and Sampdoria 1-2 both away). A week earlier however they had beaten Torino 1-0 at home. Bologna therefore were in 17th position on 2 points.

 

Both teams needed points today to lift them out of the lower part of the table. Lazio hoped Bologna were the ideal opponents to give them their first win.

 

The match: Sunday, October 7, 1990, Stadio Olimpico, Rome


Not a big crowd today, less than 30,000, to watch two teams in difficulty.

 

Lazio had no absences while the visitors were without talented Hungarian Lajos Détári.

 

Lazio took the lead early on. In the 8th minute the Bologna keeper completely miscalculated a Raffaele Sergio cross and it was an easy task for Armando Madonna to slot the ball in. Lazio 1 Bologna 0.

 

Lazio then sat back and the Rossoblu had a timid reaction. It culminated in the 35th minute when they had their biggest chance. Herbert Waas, their most lively player, set up Emiliano Verga whose dangerous shot however was deflected into corner by Raffaele Sergio. In the 38th minute Gabriele Pin had a long-range shot go just wide but boredom was the general feeling in the stands. A lacklustre first half ended with Lazio 1 Bologna 0.

 

The second half started like the first, with a Lazio goal. In the 50th minute Angelo Gregucci teed up Karl-Heinz Riedle who beat the offside trap and charged into the area, went round the keeper and scored, all at lightning speed, a great goal. Lazio 2 Bologna 0.

 

In the 53rd minute Lazio hero Fabio Poli came on to raucous applause and replaced Verga. The Lazio saviour almost scored immediately but finished a golden opportunity poorly, shooting straight into Valerio Fiori's arms.

 

Lazio took off a feeble Sergio Domini and put on a more muscular Franco Marchegiani in the 67th minute and took control of the game.

 

In the 77th minute the Biancocelesti were awarded a penalty for a foul on Ruben Sosa. The German striker Riedle stepped up and scored but was then ordered to take it again for some sort of infringement and this time Cusin saved with his foot.

 

In the 87th minute Bologna were given a penalty that only the referee saw for a Gregucci touch on Iliev. The Bulgarian too had to take it twice but scored both times. Lazio 2 Bologna 1. A tense last few minutes for Lazio? No.

 

A minute later Lazio closed the game. Sosa tried his luck from the long range and Nello Cusin judging the ball to being going wide did not even attempt to dive, the ball hit the post and went in. Lazio 3 Bologna 1 and final score.

 

Finally, a win for Lazio. The score line nevertheless should not deceive, the game had been poor and unspectacular. Bologna's defence had been responsible for two goals and the referee for one but Lazio were not complaining. The first win of the season and going above Roma in the table were enough to overlook the technical and tactical analysis of the game.

 

Lazio were up to joint 4th place on 5 points with Genoa, Fiorentina, Torino, Pisa and Parma while Bologna were rock bottom on 2 points.

 

Who played for Lazio


Substitutes: Orsi, Lampugnani, Bertoni, Saurini

Manager: Zoff

 

Who played for Bologna


Cusin, Villa, Cabrini, Di Già, Iliev, Tricella, Mariani, Verga (53' Poli), Waas, Bonini, Lorenzo

Substitutes: Valleriani, Biondo, Galvani, Campione

Manager: Scoglio

 

Referee: Trentalange


Goals: 9' Madonna, 50' Riedle, 87' Iliev (pen), 88' Sosa



What happened next


It was a season of many draws, few wins and few defeats. Lazio drew both derbies 1-1 coming from behind and their best win of the season was defeating Juventus 1-0 in Rome with a Karl-Heinz Riedle winner. They finished 11th after 8 wins, 19 draws and 7 defeats. So, despite the change of managers Lazio could not rid themselves of their addiction to draws. Top scorer was Rubén Sosa with 12 goals (11 in A) while Riedle got 9 league goals.

 

Bologna ended up relegated. They finished 18th despite bringing in new manager Luigi Radice after six games. Bologna won 4, drew 10 and lost 20 (including Lazio 1-2).

 

Things went better in the cups. In Coppa Italia Bologna eliminated Modena 3-1 on aggregate but then lost 2-3 on aggregate to Napoli in the quarter finals.

 

The Petroniani also reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. They knocked out Hearts 4-3, Admira Wacker on penalties but then lost 1-2 to Sporting Lisbon. Top scorer was Türkilmaz with 9 goals (all in A).

 

The following year Bologna fell even further, down to Serie C1. They would be back in Serie A in 1996-97.

 

The 1990-91 Scudetto was won by Sampdoria for their first historic title. At the other end Bologna went down with Lecce, Pisa and Cesena.


Lazio 1990-91

Competition

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals scored

Serie A

34

8

19

7

33

Coppa Italia

2

-

1

1

1

Total

36

8

20

8

34

Top five appearances

Player

Total

Serie A

Coppa Italia

Fiori

36

34

2

Sergio

36

34

2

Riedle

35

33

2

Ruben Sosa

35

33

2

Bergodi

34

33

1

Pin

34

32

2

Top five goal scorers

Player

Total

Serie A

Coppa Italia

Ruben Sosa

12

11

1

Riedle

9

9

-

Pin

2

2

-

Gregucci

2

2

-

Madonna

2

2

-

F. Marchegiani

2

2

-

Let's talk about Rufo Emiliano Verga


Source Lazio Wiki

Rufo Emiliano Verga was born in Legnano (Milan) on December 21 1969.

 

He started playing football for his hometown's youth sector and then joined Milan's.

 

In 1987-88 he was added to Milan's first team squad. Milan won the Scudetto under Arrigo Sacchi and Verga played 3 league games.

 

In 1988-89 he moved to Parma on loan. The Ducali were in Serie B and the manager was Giampiero Vitali. The Gialloblu finished 9th and Verga played 17 league games with 2 goals (Barletta, Catanzaro) and 5 games in Coppa Italia.

 

In 1989-90 he was back at Milan. Sacchi was still manager and the Rossoneri finished 2nd but won the Champions League (Benfica 1-0), UEFA Super Cup (Barcelona 2-1 on aggregate) and the Intercontinental Cup (Atlético Nacional de Medellín 1-0). Verga however played no games in any competition.

 

In 1990-91 he signed for Bologna. It was a bad season for the Rossoblu which ended in relegation but Verga at least played 26 league games, 3 in Coppa Italia and 8 in the UEFA Cup. Bologna reached the quarter finals of the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. The manager was initially Franco Scoglio and then, from November onwards, Luigi Radice. It was in Bologna that Verga started having physical problems, in particular with his knees.

 

In 1991-92 Verga joined Lazio. The manager was Dino Zoff and the Biancocelesti finished 10th. Verga only played 6 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia.

 

In 1992 he joined Fiorentina but only played 4 league games before leaving in the autumn for Venezia on loan.

 

The Venetians were in Serie B and the manager was Alberto Zaccheroni (1-23), Pietro Maroso (24-29) and then Zaccheroni again (30-38). The Arancioneroverdi finished 11th and Verga played 19 league games.

 

In 1993 he was back at Milan but did not stay long as he soon joined Lecce in Serie A. The Salentini were relegated in 18th place. The manager was first Nedo Sonetti (1-11) and then Rino Marchesi (12-34) and Verga played 14 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia. His teammates included former Lazio, Franco Marchegiani (1989-91).

 

At 25 Verga then retired. He had undergone four operations on his knees and could no longer continue.

 

In his youth he had played 16 games for Italy U21's and 6 games for the Italian Olympic team, in Barcelona 1992. In 1992 he won the U21's European Championship in Spain.

 

Verga was a defender mainly a central defender. He was a promising player in his youth and Milan thought he had a great future ahead of him. His body however, especially his knees, had other ideas and let him down, denying him the career expected from him. In the end he only played 53 games in Serie A.

 

At Lazio he only stayed one season and, in the capital too, injuries limited his appearances and performances.


Lazio Career

Season

Total Appearances (goals)

Serie A

Coppa Italia

1991-92

8

6

2

Sources


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