September 6, 1964: Trani Lazio 0-3, Coppa Italia
- Simon Basten
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Lazio overcome Trani to reach the next round
Lazio's new attacking trio of Petris, Piaceri and Renna impress as Mannocci's side comfortably overcome Trani, despite some worrying defensive lapses
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had done rather well. Coming back from the hell of two years in Serie B they had arrived eighth under manager Juan Carlos Lorenzo. The Argentinian was offered a contract renewal despite the club not having much money. He had agreed and given his word, but in a typical coup de theatre, he instead signed for Roma who had offered him a large advance. Umberto Mannocci was the new Lazio head coach.
The terrible financial situation did not allow much as far as summer transfers were concerned. The club had to say goodbye to Massimo Giacomini (Genoa), Giancarlo Morrone (Fiorentina), Egidio Fumagalli (Frosinone), Graziano Landoni (Atalanta), Mario Maraschi (Bologna) and Orlando Rozzoni (loan to Catania). The newcomers were midfielders Giampiero Vitali (Triestina), Can Bartu (Fiorentina), Eugenio Fascetti (Messina) and Kurt Christensen (Atalanta) and forwards Gianfranco Petris (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Piaceri (Genoa) and Antonio Renna (Bologna).
Today was the first game of the season, the first round of Coppa Italia agaisnt Trani, played at Pescara.
The match: Sunday, September 6, 1964, Stadio Adriatico, Pescara
Lazio began their 1964–65 Coppa Italia campaign with a comfortable 3–0 victory over Trani at Pescara's Stadio Adriatico, although the scoreline rather flattered a performance that contained both encouraging signs and some worrying defensive lapses. The main positive was the effectiveness of Umberto Mannocci's new attacking trio, with Gianfranco Petris on the left, Giampaolo Piaceri through the middle and Antonio Renna on the right. The three combined well and provided Lazio with a more dynamic attacking threat, particularly on the counterattack.
The opening exchanges immediately highlighted both sides of Lazio's performance. Lazio nearly took the lead after only two minutes when Renna's free-kick was spilled by goalkeeper Giuliano Biggi, but Piaceri fired straight at him. Three minutes later, however, the breakthrough arrived. Eugenio Fascetti created the opening inside the area and saw his shot blocked. Petris recovered the ball on the left and fed Piaceri, who laid it back to Nello Governato. The midfielder shifted the ball from his right foot to his left before producing a delicate lob that left Bigi helpless.
The goal encouraged Trani to attack with considerable intensity. The Apulian side attempted to overwhelm Lazio with speed and aggression, but their approach lacked precision and they were unable to turn their pressure into clear chances. Lazio's defensive organisation nevertheless looked uncomfortable. The injury to Vincenzo Gasperi, who had already been struggling after taking a blow to his right ankle, forced him off after a collision involving goalkeeper Idilio Cei and Diego Zanetti. Pietro Dotti moved into a libero role, but the change disrupted Lazio's defensive structure. Franco Marini came in.
Lazio survived the pressure and restored their control just before half-time. In the 40th minute, Marini's free-kick released Petris, who beat Giuseppe Pappalettera with a header before entering the area and crossing. Michele D'Elia then handled the ball, leaving the referee with little choice but to award a penalty. Renna made no mistake, sending a low shot to Bigi's right to double Lazio's advantage.
The second half was largely one-way traffic. Piaceri and Renna both came close in the opening stages, with their powerful efforts requiring desperate defensive blocks. Piaceri was then denied by Bigi from close range, while Petris forced the Trani goalkeeper into another difficult save.
The third goal finally arrived after Petris released Renna. The winger lifted the ball before shooting, but Bigi could only spill his effort. Piaceri, following up at speed, had the simplest of tasks, tapping the loose ball into an empty net to make it 3–0.
With the result effectively secured, Lazio understandably reduced the tempo. Trani attempted to salvage something from the match, but their increasingly desperate attacks produced little beyond giving Roberto Gori, who had replaced Cei after around the half hour mark, the opportunity to make several useful saves.
The victory nevertheless left Mannocci with some tactical questions to resolve. The defensive problems had been caused partly by the midfield pushing too high and leaving the back line exposed. Perhaps Kurt Christiansen, who had performed impressively, might have been better used in a deeper role, allowing Governato greater freedom to organise the defence. At the other end, however, the new three-man attack had offered considerable encouragement.
For Lazio, the most important conclusion was that there was a workable foundation on which Mannocci could build. Christiansen, Fascetti and the three forwards were among the side's best performers. With the league campaign approaching, Lazio's task was now to refine the balance between the adventurous new attack and a defence that had looked considerably less convincing.
Who played for Trani
Biggi, Pappalettera, Galvanin, Bazarini, D'Elia, Carradori, Arfuso, Malavasi, Silva, Franzon (46' Cosmano), Lombardo
Manager: Marsico
Who played for Lazio
Cei (75' Gori), Zanetti, Dotti, Governato, Pagni, Gasperi (26' Marini), Renna, Fascetti, Piaceri, Christensen, Petris
Manager: Mannocci
Referee: Schinetti
Goals: 5' Governato, 40' Renna (pen), 73' Piaceri
What happened next
It was certainly not a season to remember. With six games to go, Lazio were in deep trouble, 16th and in full relegation zone. But then three consecutive wins (Sampdoria and Foggia at home, Mantova away) plus a draw at home against Atalanta got them out of trouble and Lazio avoided relegation. They finished 14th.
The player with the most appearances was Pierluigi Pagni (35), top scorers were Nello Governato and Renna with a meagre 5 goals.
Lazio Jersey 1964-65
Image sources: First and third SS Lazio Museum, second re-created by Grok Images
The Lazio shirt of the 1964–65 season marked a small but noticeable return to tradition. After the heavier designs used in previous seasons, the club's shirt returned to a simple crew neck, while the fabric itself was considerably lighter, making it less uncomfortable for the players. The sky-blue colour was also relatively pale, giving the shirt the understated appearance characteristic of Lazio's traditional kit.
One of the most distinctive details was the white shirt number, made from felt and sewn directly onto the jersey. The museum also notes an unusual piece of equipment-management history: each set of shirts had a small number sewn by hand inside the collar, identifying the individual player's equipment. This allowed the club's kit men to keep track of which shirt belonged to which player.
The shirt therefore belongs to a season that was hardly memorable for results, but it is an interesting example of Lazio's traditional visual identity: a plain, pale sky-blue jersey, a simple round collar and sewn white numbers, with none of the elaborate branding or designs that would come to characterise football shirts in later decades.
For the hotter months the team wore a simple v-neck version of the main jersey and for the home game against Atalanta they used the River Plate styled shirt, white with a celeste diagonal band.
Sources
Comments