Roberto Rambaudi played with Lazio from 1994 to 1998.
He was born in Moncalieri (Turin), on January 12, 1966.
Rambaudi was formed in the Torino youth sector but never played a game for them.
In 1985 he joined Omegna (C2) for a year playing 29 games with 4 goals. The Piemontesi were relegated and Rambaudi moved on.
Between 1986 and 1988 for Pavia (promotion to C1 then relegated back to C2) making 61 appearances and scoring 18 times.
In 1988 he joined Perugia (C1)where he played for one season playing 28 games and scoring 8 goals.
In 1989 came the move that would change the course of his career. Rambaudi moved South to Foggia (Serie B) where he would play under Czech coach Zdenek Zeman. The Bohemian played an aggressive and entertaining style of football and Rambaudi became one of his key players.
In 1989-90 Foggia finished 8th but Rambaudi impressed, getting 37 games and scoring 7 goals.
The following year the Satanelli won promotion to Serie A winning the league by a wide margin. The attacking trio of Francesco Baiano, Beppe Signori and Rambaudi was already making a name for itself. Rambaudi again played 37 games but with 15 goals.
Back in Serie A Foggia continued to entertain with their performances and finished 9th. Rambaudi played 33 times and scored 9 goals.
In 1992 the "Tridente delle Meraviglie "(the Trident of Marvels) was disbanded; Baiano left for Fiorentina, Signori for Lazio and Rambaudi joined Atalanta. His time at Foggia and "Zemanlandia" have gone down in the football history books and the attacking trio Rambaudi was part of one of the most prolific and spectacular ever.
In Bergamo Rambaudi stayed two seasons playing 57 games with 8 goals. In 1994 at the end of his second year Atalanta were relegated to Serie B and Rambaudi got a call from a manager, but not just any manager, Zdenek Zeman.
Zeman had been appointed by Sergio Cragnotti's Lazio and with Signori already there he requested the club to sign Rambaudi.
With his old mentor Zeman and reunited with his former attacking buddy Signori (they are also close friends), Rambaudi again flourished forming excellent attacking lineups with Signori, Alen Boksic and Pierluigi Casiraghi. He became much more of an assist man than a goal scorer, much to Signori's delight. Rambaudi was a perfect pawn in Zeman's frenetic but schematic tactics and his performances even earned him a call up to Arrigo Sacchi's national squad (Sacchi had a similar style of play to Zeman).
Rambaudi stayed at Lazio for four seasons. The first three with Zeman when he played regularly and the last with Sven-Goran Eriksson when he started to get less playing time. With Lazio he played 109 games in Serie A with 13 goals (and probably too many assists to count), 19 in Coppa Italia with 2 goals, and 15 in the UEFA Cup with 2 goals. He won a Coppa Italia (1998 defeating Milan) and a Supercoppa Italiana (1998 defeating Juventus).
In October 1998, still not fitting in with Eriksson's plans, Rambaudi joined Genoa in Serie B but only played 7 games.
In the 1999-2000 season, which also would be his last, he played 13 games for Treviso in Serie B.
He then retired after 460 professional matches (199 in Serie A, 94 in Serie B, 57 in C1, 61 in C2, 33 in Coppa Italia, 15 in UEFA Cup, 1 in Mitropa Cup).
At International level Rambaudi won two Italy caps (Estonia and Croatia both in 1996).
After retirement has been involved in coaching and punditry. He worked for a year in the Lazio youth sector and then has had various experiences in the lower divisions including Latina, Viterbese, Astrea, the Luiss University team, Atletico Lodigiani and Flaminia. So far he has not had much luck as a manager and has had more success as a Tv pundit working for Dahlia TV, Mediaset Premium and Rai Sport.
Rambaudi was a good club player. He was an attacking right winger and was known as "Rambo" (for obvious reasons). Despite his nickname he was not a particularly physical player but he had a lot of running in him. He was tireless up and down his right wing, sometimes affecting his decisional lucidity. He was perfect for Zeman's style of play and it's not surprising his best years were with Foggia and the first three with Lazio. Rambaudi was hardworking, methodical and schematic just like the Bohemian coach. High pressing, constant movements, frenetic low one-two passes to get the ball into an assist or crossing position (always preferably on the ground)suited "Rambo's" characteristics perfectly.
Rambaudi had good years at Lazio and was involved in some of the highest scoring and spectacular wins in their history. He was part of the build up to the real glory years but his period at Lazio and the entertaining football displayed is remembered fondly.
Lazio Career
Season | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
1994-95 | 46 (5) | 32 (4) | 7 | 7 (1) |
1995-96 | 35 (3) | 28 (1) | 4 (1) | 3 (1) |
1996-97 | 36 (5) | 28 (4) | 4 (1) | 4 |
1997-98 | 26 (4) | 21 (4) | 4 | 1 |
Total | 143 (17) | 109 (13) | 19 (2) | 15 (2) |
Sources