This Week In Lazio History: September 23-29 | OneFootball

This week, we remember Lazio’s first silverware, Vittorio Sentimenti and Matias Almeyda’s fantastic goal against Parma.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, September 23, 1979 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Fiorentina 2-0 Goals by Garlaschelli and Giordano give Lazio a good win.

Date: Sunday, September 23, 2015 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Genoa 2-0 After eight consecutive defeats Lazio overcome “bête noir” with goals by Djordjevic and Anderson.

Date: Sunday, September 25, 2005 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Palermo 4-2 Epic comeback. Two zero down Lazio score three goals in six minutes and then win 4-2.

Date: Sunday, September 28, 1947 Venue: Stadio Nazionale, Rome Fixture: Lazio Modena 1-0 Thanks to a goal by debutant Fantoni IV, the Biancocelesti manage to beat Modena.

Date: Sunday, September 28, 1980 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Catania 4-0 Lazio win their first game of the season thrashing Catania thanks to Citterio, Bigon and Albani.

Match In Focus

Date: Wednesday, September 24, 1958 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Fiorentina 1-0, Coppa Italia Final

The Coppa Italia in 1958 was played in the solar year and for the first time since the end of World War II. The Serie A, as usual when there was a World Cup, had been anticipated by three weeks to allow the Nazionale to train before the competition. However, without Italy’s participation, there was a need to “invent” something for the Italians to think about, so, instead of launching the Coppa Italia in the 1958-59 season as initially planned, they decided to fill the June gap with the new cup.

Lazio were in Group H together with Roma, Palermo and Napoli. Whoever came top proceeded to the quarterfinals. Played between June and July, they managed to top their group. In September they first beat Marzotto, the only Serie B team to qualify, and then the mighty Juventus in the semis.

The final took place at the Stadio Olimpico and the Biancocelesti were faced with Fiorentina who had won the semi-final against Bologna.

Lazio started the match very well. In the 5th minute, Ugo Pozzan was fouled just outside the box. Humberto Tozzi took the free kick and his shot was only just wide.

In the 7th minute, a big opportunity for Fiorentina. Umberto Pinardi headed the ball back instead of forward, Kurt Hamrin and Miguel Montuori both went for the ball at the same time with Franco Janich just looking on. In the end, it was Montuori who got the shot but it went wide. Same result for a free kick inside the penalty box that Franco Carradori put wide. Bob Lovati saved a Montuori shot in the 17th minute and immediately after was brave and fast in anticipating Hamrin.

In the 22nd minute, a free kick for Lazio. Carradori took the shot, Giuliano Sarti fumbled but was quicker than Tozzi, and stopped the Brazilian’s possible tap-in. In the 28th minute, Francisco Lojacono reacted to a brutal foul by Carradori. The referee sent both players off.

A minute later Tozzi found himself all alone in front of Sarti following a splendid assist from Carlo Tagnin, but he shot wide. An incredible miss. But in the 30th minute, Lazio scored. Free kick for Lazio, Pozzan crossed and Maurilio Prini headed the ball in.

After a Tozzi attempt at a shot, when he could have passed to Egidio Fumagalli or Prini, in the 36th minute Hamrin to Guido Gratton but his volley went too high. Before the end of the first half, Hamrin had another chance but again his shot was wide.

In the second half, Lazio fell back a bit and Fiorentina pushed forward more decisively but the Biancocelesti were dangerous on the counterattack.

In the 55th minute, Lovati made a great save on a Hamrin shot. Lazio had a number of opportunities to score but both Tozzi and Claudio Bizzarri could not find the target. A Tozzi-Prini one-two then allowed the latter to shoot but Sarti neutralised. In the 60th minute, Tozzi again had a chance after a magnificent pass from Bizzarri but the Fiorentina goalkeeper made a great save.

Fiorentina on the other hand missed Lojacono terribly and could not find the right key to open the Lazio defence. But in the 89th minute, the Viola had their biggest chance to equalize. Montuori ran past Pinardi and into the box but the Lazio defender managed to get to the ball first (and injure himself ) so that Lovati could avoid any danger.

Lazio won their first historic silverware and captain Bob Lovati was handed the cup. A marvellous achievement seeing they were certainly not the strongest team.

In Memory: Vittorio Sentimenti III

The Sentimentis were nine brothers, all of them played football but “only” five of them professionally. Three of the brothers played for Lazio: Vittorio (III), Lucidio (IV) and Primo (V). Ennio (I) was the only brother who had nothing to do with the Biancocelesti, since Arnaldo (II) became manager of Lazio’s youth teams between 1953 and 1957.

Why is there a Roman numeral at the end of their surnames? At that time players with the same surname were given a Roman number to distinguish them all. Therefore you had five Sentimentis.

Vittorio was born in Bomporto (Modena) on August 18, 1918. He played in midfield and started his career in the youth teams of Modena, then moved to the A team on a permanent basis in the 1936-37 season. He stayed in Emilia Romagna until 1941 after having played three seasons in Serie B and two in Serie A.

In 1941 he moved to Juventus and stayed until 1949. After 210 games and 62 goals for the Bianconeri, Vittorio alongside his brother Lucidio was sold to Lazio. He played three years in Rome and was highly considered by the Lazio fans who called him “Il Bersagliere” for his competitive spirit on the pitch. He appeared in 77 games and scored ten times.

In 1952 Lazio sold him to Torino where he stayed four years before going back to Modena for a year in 1956. His last professional year was with Aosta in the amateur league as player-manager.

He died in Turin on September 27, 2004.

Matias Almeyda’s Special Goal Against Parma

In Lazio’s history, there have been many spectacular goals. Fans will obviously remember Roberto Mancini’s backheel volley against Parma, or Ciro Immobile’s incredible goal against Cagliari. Also, there are a few bicycle kicks from Stefano Mauri, and, going back a little, Bruno Giordano’s banana shot at Catania or his double lob against Juventus in 1978.

But Matias Almeyda’s goal against Parma must be considered one of the best in Lazio history.

Sunday, September 26, game four of Serie A in the 1999-00 season at Parma. The Biancocelesti had dominated the first half and scored with Marcelo Salas, but Parma became more dangerous in the second 45 minutes and had equalized with Alain Boghossian.

In the 69th minute, Beppe Favalli crossed, Lillian Thuram cleared, the ball was 35 metres out on the left and Almeyda decided to shoot. Logic would have told him not to, but he did – a surface-to-air missile into the top right-hand corner. There was nothing Gianluigi Buffon could do – there was nothing any goalkeeper could have done.

An incredible shot that remains in the history of Lazio.

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