Lazio win on Riviera but lose Riedle

Dag Jenkins
Aug 11, 2023
3 min read

Season 1991-92

Pre Season Friendly

Sunday, August 11, 1991

Stadio Romeo Neri, Rimini

Rimini-Lazio 0-2

A routine win in humid conditions but German goalscorer hobbles off in first half

This was Lazio's sixth summer friendly: TSV 1958 Dasing 3-0, Seefeld 11-0, Hamburger SV 1-0, Czechoslovakia 1-1 and Genoa 1-1.

Serie A would start on September 1 and the Coppa Italia on August 29.

Rimini were in Serie C2. Thier season would start on September 8 against Castel di Sangro.

The match

It was a hot and sticky evening on the Riviera Romagnola.

Lazio tampered with their starting line-up and left out goalkeeper Valerio Fiori, defenders Angelo Gregucci and Cristiano Bergodi plus midfielder Claudio Sclosa. There were therefore chances for Fernando Orsi (then Giovanni Cascione), Rufo Emiliano Verga, Davide Lampugnani and Stefano Melchiori. The Biancocelesti were also still without defenders Raffaele Sergio and Roberto Soldà.

The hosts started with energy and desire and pegged Lazio back. The forwards Renato Lo Masto and Luca Paganelli were lively albeit without causing any major dangers.

Lazio slowly stirred, led by their Germanic duo. In the 14th minute Thomas Doll conquered the ball in midfield, dribbled past three opponents and fed Karl-Heinz Riedle who went round the keeper and scored, 0-1.

Three minutes later the former Werder Bremen forward was the assist man as he set up Gabriele Pin who volleyed in for Lazio's second, 0-2.

For the whole first half it was Doll who stole the show with class and intelligence.

In the 37th minute Lazio suffered a setback as Riedle limped off with a muscular strain. His place was taken by Berardino Capocchiano.

For the second half Lazio made four changes: off went Fernando Orsi, Roberto Bacci, Pin and Doll and on came Giovanni Cascione, Claudio Vertova, Claudio Sclosa and Maurizio Neri. Rimini made one and on came Roma captain Giuseppe Giannini's brother Corrado and they had already made another one towards the end of the first half.

Without the Germans and Pin the Biancocelesti lost quality and it was only Giovanni Stroppa who looked interested.

In the 55th even Ruben Sosa went off and was replaced by Franco Marchegiani. The hosts also made three more substitutions.

In the first twenty minutes of the second half it was the Biancorossi from Romagna who attacked more and seriously threatened a couple of times. Young keeper Cascione had to dive low to stop a Daniele Tani header and some minutes later was reactive on a Mirko Parlanti effort.

Rimini then took off Cristian Cecchi and Tani and lost vigor. One of the replacements was called Nanni but no relation to the great Scudetto hero Franco Nanni.

In the last quarter of the game Lazio took control again. Stroppa hit a crossbar and then Capocchiano tried to imitate Riedle by going round the keeper but was fouled just outside the area. Sclosa took the free kick but hit Vincenzo Prochilo and on the rebound Sclosa forced Mirco Marinelli into a miraculous save. Final score Rimini 0 Lazio 2.

A game with both positives and negatives. A decent result (Roma had only won 1-0 two weeks before) and despite the heat some good moves and attacking movements. On the down side there was Riedle's injury and the fact that Lazio had long periods when they seemed apathetic and were forced on the backfoot by a C2 team.

Rimini came out head high and could presumably have a better season than the previous one.

Lazio now had three more friendlies before things got serious; Perugia, Milan and Real Madrid.

Fortunately Riedle's twinge turned out to be nothing too serious and he would be back on August 19.

Who played for Rimini

Marinelli, Simeoni (57' Cristioni), Prochilo, Pinelli (40' Dominici), La Scala (55' Valentini), Cecchi (67' Coccia), Parlanti, Cangini, Lo Masto (55' Gennari), Tani (61' Nanni), Paganelli (46' Giannini)

Manager: Spimi

Who played for Lazio

Orsi (46' Cascione), Corino, Bacci (46' Vertova), Pin (46' Sclosa), Lampugnani, Verga, Stroppa, Doll (46' Neri), Riedle (37' Capocchiano), Melchiori, Sosa (55' Marchegiani)