The return of the prodigal son
Di Canio gives Lazio the win in his first Serie A game since his return
The season so far
On July 19, 2004 Claudio Lotito became President. The situation was critical from a financial point of view. Many of their best players such as Sinisa Mihajlovic, Beppe Favalli and Jaap Stam did not renew their contracts and went elsewhere. Manager Roberto Mancini signed for Inter despite being under contract with Lazio. But Lazio had no means to keep him and he knew it. From what is known, his contacts with Inter started in the autumn and he tried to convince many of his players to follow him to Inter. Some did, some refused (for example Stam).
Stefano Fiore and Bernardo Corradi were sold to Valencia to cover the debt remaining with the Spanish club for the signing of Gaizka Mendieta. Demetrio Albertini was sold to Atalanta as payment for the other halves of Luciano Zauri and Ousmane Dabo. Claudio Lopez was loaned to America Mexico so Lazio could save paying his wages.
Two players not under contract decided to stay: Angelo Peruzzi and Fernando Couto.
Lotito therefore inherited a team with no manager and just a few players. The team was temporarily given to Mimmo Caso, the primavera manager and hero of the -9 season, for the pre-season training in Japan. Lazio had to fulfil a contract so off they went. In Japan Caso got on well with the players (and he was also cheap), so Lotito confirmed him.
Lotito’s second move was a PR one. He needed the Lazio fans on his side, so his idea was the return of Paolo Di Canio, an unforgotten hero of the tifosi. Di Canio managed to get released from his contract and came back home.
Lotito’s last move was the signing of seven players on the last day of the summer transfer window. These included some forgettable signings, but also two players that would become the backbone of the early Lotito years: Tommaso Rocchi and Sebastiano Siviglia.
The first game of the season was the Super Coppa final. Lazio did not have the strength to put up much of a fight and lost 3-0.
Today was the first Serie A match of the season.
The match: Sunday, September 12, 2004, Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
After quite a boring first ten minutes, the match started gaining momentum when in the 13th minute Francesco Flachi on a Fabio Bazzani assist was face-to-face with Angelo Peruzzi who managed to parry. A few minutes later Simone Inzaghi had a chance but his shot shaved the post. In the 21st minute Flachi again had a scoring opportunity but yet again Peruzzi saved.
Sampdoria seemed to be on top but in the 26th minute came the game changer. Di Canio backheeled to Inzaghi all alone in front of Francesco Antonioli. The Lazio forward tried to dribble past him but he was brought down by the keeper. Penalty to the Biancocelesti and red card for Antonioli. Inzaghi went to take the spot kick but Di Canio pushed him away. There was no way he was not going to take that penalty. No problem and Lazio were ahead. It was Di Canio’s first goal for Lazio since December 3, 1989.
In the second half Sampdoria could have easily equalised. They had three chances in the first 15 minutes: in the 47th with Bazzani, a minute later with Flachi and in the 58th minute again with Bazzani who missed an open goal chance. Lazio did not just sit back and watch, Roberto Muzzi in the 54th minute and Inzaghi in the 75th had their chances but both missed from favourable positions.
Lazio then slowed the game down and Samp, tired for having played most of the game with ten men, did not have the energy to come up with an equaliser.
First win for Domenico Caso. Good start to the season.
Who played for Sampdoria
Antonioli, Sacchetti (65' Kutuzov), Castellini, Falcone, Pisano (27' Turci), Diana (46' Donadel), Volpi, Palombo, Tonetto, Flachi, Bazzani
Substitutes: Carrozzieri, Rossini, Pavan, Zenoni
Manager: Novellino
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Oddo, Siviglia, Couto, Zauri, A. Filippini, Giannichedda, Liverani (68’ Seric), Cesar (58’ E. Filippini), Di Canio (51’ Muzzi), S. Inzaghi
Manager: Caso
Referee: Rosetti
Goal: 29’ DI Canio (pen)
What happened next
In Serie A things did not go well. In the first 16 games Lazio won four, drew five and lost seven. They had 17 points, just four clear of relegation zone. They were clearly in difficulty: badly organised, no game plan, problems between Caso and Di Canio and poor quality of some of the players. Furthermore, the Biancocelesti were eliminated in the UEFA Cup group stage without winning a match.
So, just before Christmas, Lotito called another former player, Giuseppe Papadopulo, to manage Lazio. He was seen as more apt to guide the Biancocelesti to safety. The task was immediately uphill since the first game of the season was the derby, but Lazio amazingly won 3-1 and won in Florence in the next match, but that was followed by just one point in the next five games.
The Biancocelesti won three in a row, then one point in three games, and then two wins and a draw. As one can see the story of the season was two steps forward, three steps back. With six games from the end of the season Lazio were 7th and relatively safe but then they lost three in a row and things got worrying. Lazio then drew the last three matches and managed to stay in Serie A. Papadopulo was able to add a greater fighting spirit to the side, but little else. Lotito had a lot of work to do if he wanted to improve the side.
In the UEFA Cup Lazio managed to reach the group stage by beating Metalurh Donetsk 6-0 on aggregate but were eliminated after losing one and drawing three. In Coppa Italia they were eliminated by Cagliari in the Round of 16.
Oddo was the player with the most appearances (42) and Rocchi the most goals with 17.
Lazio 2004-05
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 48 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 4 |
UEFA Cup | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
Super Coppa | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
Total | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 63 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup | Super Coppa |
Oddo | 42 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
A. Filippini | 41 | 36 | 2 | 3 | - |
Rocchi | 41 | 35 | 1 | 5 | - |
Dabo | 37 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Giannichedda | 37 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Rocchi | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
Di Canio | 7 | 6 | - | 1 |
Muzzi | 6 | 3 | - | 3 |
Oddo | 4 | 4 | - | - |
A. Filippini | 4 | 2 | 2 | - |
Pandev | 4 | 3 | - | 1 |
Cesar | 4 | 3 | - | 1 |
Let’s talk about Anthony Seric
Anthony Seric was born in Sydney, Australia on January 15 1979. He grew up in Australia but in 1996 joined Hajduk Split and stayed until 1999 when he joined Verona. He played three years in Veneto with 47 appearances and one goal and then was loaned first to Brescia in 2002 and to Parma a year later.
In 2004 Lazio had just changed hands and the new president was desperately looking for players. Seric was offered on loan and Lotito gave him a contract. He made 17 appearances with the Biancocelesti not leaving much of a trace. Lazio managed to survive and avoid relegation in the last game.
In 2005 he signed for Panathinaikos where he played for three years. In 2008 he moved to Beşiktaş and although they won the League, he only made 3 appearances. He went back to Split in 2009 for a year and then had three years with Karabükspor in Turkey, before closing his career with one final season with Olhanense in Portugal.
Despite being born in Australia he never played for the Aussie National team, choosing Croatia instead. He made 16 appearances and was part of the squad that obtained third place in the 1998 World Cup
Seric was a good left back but at Lazio he was merely considered one of those many last second signings Lotito had made in the summer transfer window of 2004.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
2004-05 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 |
Sources
Comments