September 13, 2003: Sampdoria Lazio 1-2
- Dag Jenkins
- Sep 13
- 10 min read
Lazio make it three on three at Doria
After an entertaining game Lazio win away at Samp for the third year running and stay top
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season had been a positive one for Lazio, despite being the first without Alessandro Nesta. The Biancocelesti, under Roberto Mancini, finished 4th and therefore qualified for the Champions League (preliminary round). They also reached two semi-finals: Coppa Italia (Roma 1-3) and UEFA Cup (eventual winners Porto 1-4 on aggregate). Top scorer was Claudio Lopez with 17 goals (15 in A).
This season more sacrifices were made due to the club's critical financial situation. Leaving were Scudetto heroes Luca Marchegiani (Chievo), defender Giuseppe Pancaro (Milan) and midfielder Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid) plus midfielders Dino Baggio, (Blackburn-on loan), Lucas Castromán (Udinese-on loan) and forward Enrico Chiesa (Siena). Dejan Stankovic was rumoured to be but at least for now was still in the capital (but he would soon join Inter).
Arriving were keeper Matteo Sereni (Brescia), defender Luciano Zauri (Atalanta), midfielders Demetrio Albertini (Milan) and Ousmane Dabo (Atalanta) and striker Roberto Muzzi (Udinese). Lazio also welcomed back Scudetto hero Sergio Conceição (free agent).
So not a lot to get excited about but this was the transition phase between Sergio Cragnotti's golden era and Claudio Lotito's austerity era. The President at the moment was Ugo Longo.
In Serie A Lazio had debuted two weeks earlier defeating Lecce 4-1 at the Olimpico. This evening was the second league game of the season.
In August Lazio had made it into the Champions League by eliminating Benfica 4-1 on aggregate. They would play in a group with Chelsea, Sparta Prague and Beşiktaş. Their debut would be in Istanbul in three days' time.
Sampdoria were newly promoted. The Blucerchiati had finished 2nd in Serie B under Walter Novellino. Top scorer was future Lazio, Fabio Bazzani. The squad included Lazio connections; Guglielmo Stendardo, Fabrizio Casazza, Alessandro Grandoni and Maurizio Domizzi.
This season the manager was still Novellino. The main new signings were: goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli (Roma), defenders Giulio Falcone (Bologna), Aimo Diana (Brescia - via Reggina), midfielders Cristiano Doni (Atalanta), Massimo Donati (Milan - via Torino), Cristian Zenoni (Juventus) plus Japanese forward Atsushi Yanagisawa.
Leaving were: defender Massimo Paganin (Vicenza), midfielders Jorge Bolaño (Parma - end of loan), Andrea Bernini (Napoli), Andrea Gasbarroni (Palermo) plus forward Andrea Rabito (Livorno).
In their first Serie A game Sampdoria had drawn 2-2 in Reggio Calabria against Reggina coming from 0-2 down.
A game open to any result today. Lazio were superior on paper and had won the last two away games at Sampdoria but the hosts had great enthusiasm for their home debut in Serie A after four long years in the second tier of Italian football.
The match: Saturday, September 13, 2003, Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
A 6 p.m kick-off attracted about 35,000 to the former Marassi stadium.
Roberto Mancini received a warm welcome by his former fans. The home fans then went silent for the first ten minutes in protest against "modern football".
Sampdoria had no real absences. Lazio meanwhile were without César and Claudio López.
Lazio started well and in the 3rd minute Sinisa Mihajlovic shaved the post with a free kick from thirty metres out. In the 4th Simone Inzaghi tried an acrobatic volley from a Roberto Muzzi cross but it was wide.
Lazio took the lead within ten minutes. In the 8th minute Mihajlovic took a free kick from 35 metres out, it floated into the area where Dejan Stankovic headed on to Simone Inzaghi who scored from close range, 0-1.
Sampdoria had a golden opportunity to equalise almost immediately when they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Mihajlovic on Fabio Bazzani. Cristiano Doni took it but Angelo Peruzzi dived low to his left and saved.
Lazio took energy from being let off and had two chances. In the 18th minute Francesco Antonioli saved another Mihajlovic free kick and in the 19th Stefano Fiore was off target from a Giuliano Giannichedda assist.
The hosts responded in the 24th minute when a Doni cross deflected by Luciano Zauri dangerously passed through the area near the goal line.
In the 27th minute Fiore shot high after a scramble in the area while a minute later Bazzani was on target but his effort lacked power and was caught under the crossbar by Peruzzi.
Lazio went very close to doubling the score in the 32nd minute but Stankovic' powerful strike was just wide and again in the 35th when Fiore's shot looked like a certain goal but it was then deflected by Francesco Pedone and shaved the post.
The last two opportunities were for Doria. In the 37th minute Peruzzi parried on Marazzina and then on the rebound Bazzani's shot was headed away by Mihajlovic. In the 41st minute a Sergio Volpi volley was not far off. Halftime Sampdoria 0 Lazio 1.
There were no changes at halftime.
In the 51st minute Massimo Marazzina waited too long to shoot and was then walled by Mihajlovic.
In the 55th minute came the first substitution as Paolo Negro replaced Mihajlovic.
In the 59th minute Samp changed forwards, bringing on Francesco Flachi for Marazzina and adding another forward Atsushi Yanagisawa for midfielder Pedone.
Four minutes later Inzaghi went off for Bernardo Corradi.
One minute later Lazio were awarded a penalty for Corradi being held back in the area by Maurizio Domizzi. Demetrio Albertini stepped up and did not miss, placing the ball to the right of Antonioli who got a touch but could not keep it out, 0-2.
In the 69th minute the Blucerchiati put on a more attacking defender Stefano Bettarini for Giulio Falcone.
In the 72nd minute Peruzzi saved a weak Bazzani header. A minute later however a Bazzani header from a Bettarini cross had far more power and beat Peruzzi, 1-2.
Five minutes later the Jaap Stam-Bazzani duel was renewed but this time in the Samp area. The Dutchman in the left side of the box dribbled past the forward and shot but Antonioli saved with a foot.
In the last ten minutes Sampdoria pushed forward. They had a penalty appeal in the 85th minute when Aimo Diana collapsed in the Lazio area but Messina pointed towards the goal kick, giving Lazio fans a scare as initially it was not clear exactly where he was pointing.
Lazio made their last substitution in the 87th minute when a defender Massimo Oddo came on for striker Muzzi.
The teams had one last chance each. In the 92nd minute Domizzi headed just over the bar and in the 93rd a Stankovic belter whistled past the post. After five minutes of added time the referee blew up. Final score: Sampdoria 1 Lazio 2.
For Lazio Albertini and Peruzzi had stood out while for Sampdoria Bazzani had performed well.
An entertaining game and a hard fought win for Lazio. Both teams had played well and could look to the rest of the season with optimism.
Who played for Sampdoria
Antonioli, Diana, Falcone (69' Bettarini), Grandoni, Domizzi, Pedone (59' Yanagisawa), Volpi, Palombo, Doni, Bazzani, Marazzina (59' Flachi)
Substitutes: Turci, Sacchetti, C.Zenoni, Donati
Manager: Novellino
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Zauri, Stam, Mihajlovic (55' Negro), Favalli, Fiore, Albertini, Giannichedda, Stankovic, S.Inzaghi (63' Corradi), Muzzi (87' Oddo)
Manager: Mancini
Referee: Messina
Goals: 8' S. Inzaghi, 64' Albertini (pen), 73' Bazzani
What happened next
In Serie A Lazio finished 6th and qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the next 32 league games they won 14 (including Juventus 2-0 and Inter 2-1), drew 8 (including a derby 1-1) and lost 10 (including the other derby 0-2). The top scorer in all competitions was Stefano Fiore with 16 goals while only in Serie A it was Bernardo Corradi with 10.
In the Champions League things started well with a 2- 0 away win at Beşiktaş but then went downhill with 3 defeats (Chelsea 1-2 away and 0-4 at home and Sparta Prague 0-1 away) and 2 draws (Sparta Prague 2-2 and Beşiktaş 1-1 at home).
In Coppa Italia however it was a different story. In December Lazio got the better of Modena 3-0 on aggregate. In January the Biancocelesti knocked out Parma 3-1 on aggregate. Then came the semi-final in February against Milan which Lazio dominated 6-1 on aggregate, in the return game at home Lazio put on a magnificent display and thrashed the Rossoneri 4-0.
The final was against Juventus. In the first leg at home Lazio got a comforting 2-0 win, so took a decent lead up to Turin. Under the Mole however the Bianconeri scored after three minutes with Trezeguet and doubled straight after halftime with Del Piero. All square with 44 minutes to go, things were not looking good. Then a towering header by Corradi with twenty minutes to go and a Fiore low strike from the edge of the box, with seven minutes to play, definitely put the light blue and white ribbons on the cup. An immense satisfaction for Lazio who, in the middle of a financial crisis, still managed to lift silverware.
Sampdoria finished a decent 8th. The Blucerchiati then won 11, drew 12 (including Lazio 1-1) and lost 9. The top scorer was Fabio Bazzani with 13 league goals.
In the Coppa Italia, Sampdoria reached the last 16. In the 2nd round they defeated Pro patria 4-0 on aggregate but then lost 0-2 on aggregate to Milan.
Serie A champions were Milan for the 17th time. Serie B awaited Ancona, Modena, Perugia and Empoli (only the latter have ever made it back but are now in B).
The Champions League was won by Porto who defeated Monaco 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen.
Let’s talk about Maurizio Domizzi
Maurizio Domizzi was born in Rome on June 28,1980.
His first club at 12 was Casalotti in Rome but at 16 he joined Lazio's youth setup.
He spent two years at Lazio and in the 1997-98 season went between the U19s and the first team squad but never made his debut. He however won a Coppa Italia winners medal and a Supercoppa one.
In 1998 he went to Livorno on loan for two seasons in Serie C1. He played a total of 29 games with 1 goal. The Amaranto finished 12th and 7th. In his second season one of his teammates was former Lazio Igor Protti.
In 2000 he returned to Lazio who were now Italian champions. He contributed to the Primavera, who eventually won the Scudetto and also won another Supercoppa Italiana medal with the main squad. In January before making any first team appearances he was sold to Milan who however sent him on loan to Modena in Serie B. For the 2001-02 season. In Emilia he played a total of 20 games with 2 goals and the Canarini finished 2nd and promoted under Gianni De Biasi. His teammates included Lazio connections, Marco Ballotta and Stefano Mauri.
In 2002 Milan sold half of his "cartellino" (ownership) to Sampdoria which meant they co-owned him. He headed for Genoa and the Blucerchiati won promotion to Serie A under Walter Novellino. Domizzi played 32 games (28 in B) with 1 goal. The squad included Lazio connections; Guglielmo Stendardo, Fabio Bazzani, Fabrizio Casazza and Alessandro Grandoni.
In 2003 he stayed on at Samp but only until January. He played another 8 games (5 in B) before joining Modena on loan in Serie A. With the Canarini he played 17 league games with 1 goal, his first in A, against Parma. His managers were first Alberto Malesani and then Gianfranco Bellotto. Ballotta was still there as were Grandoni and future Lazio, Stephen Makinwa.
In 2004 he went on loan to Brescia in Serie A. He played regularly, making 30 appearances (29 in A). Brescia however were relegated under Gianni De Biasi (1-23) and then Alberto Cavasin. His teammates included Lazio connections Marius Stankevičius, Daniele Adani, Simone Del Nero, Giuseppe Sculli and Matías Almeyda (until Nov) and Gigi Di Biagio.
In 2005-06 he spent a season on loan at Ascoli in Serie A. He played 34 league games and scored 5 goals (Roma, Empoli, Udinese Fiorentina, Cagliari). The Bianconeri finished 10th under manager Massimo Silva. The squad included Lazio connections Pasquale Foggia, Adani again, Ivano Della Morte, Domenico Cristiano and Riccardo Bonetto.
In 2006 he was signed by Napoli in Serie B (he was now co-owned between Napoli and Samp). He stayed two seasons, winning promotion and then finishing 8th. He played a total of 73 games with 14 goals (a record 7 in A- Udinese, Genoa, Juventus, Milan, Parma, Milan, Lazio). His manager for both seasons was future Lazio, Edy Reja. His teammates included future top manager Roberto De Zerbi.
In 2008 Domizzi signed for Udinese in Serie A and stayed eight seasons. He played a total of 208 games (171 in A ) with 7 goals (6 in A). Udinese finished 7th, 15th, 4th (CL), 3rd (CL), 5th (EL), 13th, 16th and 17th. His managers were Pasquale Marino, Gianni De Biasi, Francesco Guidolin (4 seasons), Andrea Stramaccioni, Stefano Colantuono and Luigi De Canio. His teammates included several Lazio connections: Samir Handanovič, Bernardo Corradi, Dušan Basta, Giampiero Pinzi and Davide Faraoni. It also included future top player Bruno Fernandes.
In 2016 Domizzi joined Venezia in Lega Pro (3rd tier). He stayed three seasons, winning promotion in his first and then 5th and 15th in B. His managers were: Filippo Inzaghi in his first and second, and three in his last, Stefano Vecchi, Walter Zenga and Serse Cosmi. Domizzi played 103 total games for Venezia with 12 goals.
Domizzi then retired at 39.
In his youth he had played 3 times for Italy U17s with 1 goal, 3 times for Italy U18s and once for the U21s.
He has now become a coach. So far he has worked at Pordenone (Serie B, April -June 2021, 15th), Fermana (C, July-Sept 2021, resigned), Castelvetro (5th tier, 2022-23, 7th), Terre di Castelli (5th tier, 2023-25, 2nd and 5th). He is now the coach of Correggese (Reggio Emilia) in Serie D.
Domizzi was a defender who could play on the left or centrally. He was strong physically at 1.87 and 80 kilos. He was a reliable player and made 283 appearances in Serie A and 29 in European competitions. He was a good penalty taker and scored 12 out of 13 in his career.
At Lazio he was one of the ones that got away. He was groomed by Lazio but then spent his career elsewhere. He could have been useful especially after the Cragnotti glory years.
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