October 8, 1978: Avellino Lazio 1-3
- Simon Basten
- Oct 8, 2025
- 5 min read
Giordano at the Double as Lazio Silence Avellino
Biancocelesti weather early storm to claim victory
Non Lazio manager of the day: Rino Marchesi
Also on this day:
The season so far
The summer transfer window had seen Lazio very cautious. Not much money was available so Lazio did not do much. Lionello Manfredonia and Andrea Agostinelli refused to leave as did Vincenzo D‘Amico. The three players chosen by previous manager Luis Vinicio, Luigi Boccolini, Claudio Garella and Sergio Clerici changed jerseys. In goal it looked like scudetto hero Felice Pulici was going to come back but the deal fell through. Lazio’s new goalkeeper would be Massimo Cacciatori. New arrivals included Aldo Nicoli and Aldo Cantarutti plus Nando Viola who returned from a loan spell at Bologna.
In Coppa Italia Lazio topped their Group and reached the quarterfinals after beating Vicenza at home in the decisive match.
The Biancocelesti had started off well drawing at home with Juventus 2-2. Today was the second game against newly promoted Avellino. It was played in Naples as their stadium was still not ready.
The match: Sunday, October 8, 1978, Stadio San Paolo, Naples
The match began at a brisk pace, and in the 13th minute Lazio struck first. Luigi Martini was felled in the area by Moreno Roggi in a challenge that left the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Bruno Giordano stepped up and converted coolly from the spot.
The lead lasted barely four minutes. Lionello Manfredonia, pressed by Gianluca De Ponti, unleashed a superb strike into the top left corner, alas in the wrong goal, leaving Massimo Cacciatori rooted. The equaliser spurred Avellino on, and for much of the first half they were the more enterprising side, forcing Lazio to defend in depth.
After the break, the visitors began to assert themselves. In the 56th minute, Ciccio Cordova produced a dazzling solo run only to be denied by Ottorino Piotti’s quick reactions. Martini, enjoying a fine afternoon, continued to press the attack, while Vincenzo D’Amico struggled to make an impression.
Avellino replaced Ezio Galasso with Giancarlo Tacchi in the 57th minute, but the substitute’s early promise faded quickly, leaving Lazio with more freedom in midfield. The pressure told on 80 minutes when Cordova again slalomed through the defence, Piotti’s parry fell to Renzo Garlaschelli, who tucked away the rebound to restore the lead.
Barely a minute later, Giordano spurned an open goal, slicing wide with the net at his mercy. Yet the Trastevere born striker made amends in the 89th minute, finishing from close range after a move involving Martini and a pinpoint cross from Garlaschelli.
Who played for Avellino
Piotti, Reali, Boscolo, Piga, Cattaneo, Roggi, Massa, Galasso (57' Tacchi), De Ponti, Lombardi, Tosetto
Substitutes: Cavalieri, La Palma
Manager: Marchesi
Who played for Lazio
Cacciatori, Ammoniaci, Martini, Wilson, Manfredonia, Cordova, Garlaschelli, Lopez, Giordano, D’Amico, Badiani (30’ Ghedin)
Substitutes: Fantini, Agostinelli
Manager: Lovati
Referee: Casarin
Goals: 13’ Giordano (pen), 16’ Manfredonia (og), 80’ Garlaschelli, 89’ Giordano
What happened next
At the end of the first half of the fixture list Lazio were sixth with a UEFA Cup qualification still very possible. But they were not playing well.
Lazio finished 8th, better than the previous season, but not all that great. Just two points in the last five games meant that a UEFA Cup qualification became impossible, which was a pity, since Napoli, who came 6th, were only three points away. In Coppa Italia they lost the quarterfinal against Palermo after a penalty shootout.
Giordano was top scorer in Serie A with 19 goals (21 for the whole season) and, together with Cacciatori, the player with most appearances (36).
Let’s talk about Rino Marchesi
Rino Marchesi, perhaps better known as Napoli, Inter and Juventus manager, was part of the generation of gentlemen players of the 1960s, an attitude he would also have as a manager.
Born on June 11 1937 in San Giuliano Milanese, he started playing football with Lodi and then he moved to Bergamo to play for Atalanta. After three years he was sold to Fiorentina where he stayed for six seasons. In Florence he won the Coppa Italia twice, a Cup Winners Cup and a Mitropa Cup. In 1966 he moved to Lazio.
In Lazio he played as a sweeper. Always rational and elegant, he stayed for five years, in seasons that were not easy for the club but those were formative years for some of the players that were to win the scudetto in 1974.
He played 68 games in Serie A for Lazio, 57 in Serie B, 10 in Coppa Italia, 3 in Mitropa Cup, 4 in the Anglo Italian Cup and 9 in the Cup of the Alps. He scored 4 goals (2 in Serie A and 2 in Serie B) all on penalties.
Marchesi also played two games for his country, friendlies against Argentina and France in 1961 and 1962.
He was the first non-goalkeeper to come on as substitute in Lazio's history . It happened on September 29 1968 when he took Nello Governato's place in the beginning of the second half.
After Lazio he played for Prato in Serie C for the last two years of his career.
In 1973 he became manager at Montevarchi, soon followed by a couple of years at Mantova and a year at Ternana. In 1978 he was in charge of Avellino in their first year in Serie A and he successfully led them to safety, as he did a year later.
In 1980-81 he almost took Napoli to their first scudetto. They were fighting with Juventus and Roma until 5 matches from the end when they surprisingly lost at home to Perugia. They finished third and a year later fourth. For the 1983-84 season he managed Inter but he only lasted a year despite a good third place.
In 1984 he was called to rescue a Napoli in dangerous waters and he did so. He was confirmed and therefore became Diego Maradona’s first manager in Italy. The Argentinian only really started coming good in the second half of the season and Napoli did not do particularly well. Marchesi was not confirmed.
After joining Como in the 11th match of the 1985-86 season and taking them to safety, he was called to manage Juventus in 1986 taking the place of Giovanni Trapattoni who had won everything with the club. It was not an easy year and it was also Michel Platini’s last year as a footballer. He did not do too badly, taking the Bianconeri to second place behind Napoli. He was not so successful in the following year and was not confirmed.
He went back to Como only to be fired with ten games to go. In 1989-90 he was called to Udinese to save them but he fell just short. His last games as manager in Serie A were with Lecce in 1993-94 but he was not able to avoid the Salentini's relegation.
He was unlucky as manager, always arriving either at the end of cycles or at the very beginning, therefore unable to have competitive teams.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia | Mitropa Cup | Anglo-Italian Cup | Cup of the Alps |
1966-67 | 22 (2) | 19 (2) | - | 2 | 1 | - | - |
1967-68 | 21 (1) | - | 19 (1) | 2 | - | - | - |
1968-69 | 38 (1) | - | 38 (1) | - | - | - | - |
1969-70 | 43 | 30 | - | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
1970-71 | 27 | 19 | - | 3 | - | - | 5 |
Total | 151 (4) | 68 (2) | 57 (2) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Sources
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