This Week In Lazio History: August 31 – September 6
This week in Lazio history is characterized by important wins in Naples as well as in Milan and we remember the mythical goalkeeper Ezio Sclavi.
Matches of the Week
Date: Sunday, September 1, 2019 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Roma 1-1 An exciting derby ends with a point apiece but Lazio would have won on posts (4-2).
Date: Sunday, September 2, 2012 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Palermo 3-0 After beating Atalanta, the Biancocelesti comfortably thrash Palermo thanks to Klose and Candreva.
Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023 Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples Fixture: Napoli Lazio 1-2 Lazio win in Naples for the second year running playing the perfect game.
Date: Sunday, September 4, 1994 Venue: Stadio San Nicola, Bari Fixture: Bari Lazio 0-1 First league match with Zeman and first win thanks to Signori.
Date: Sunday, September 6, 1992 Venue: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa Fixture: Sampdoria Lazio 3-3 Signori presents himself to the Lazio fans with a brace against Sampdoria.
Match In Focus
Date: Sunday, September 3, 1989 Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan Fixture: Milan Lazio 0-1
How many times have Lazio won in Milan against the Rossoneri in the league? 10 in 81 games. Even a draw has been a rarity, only 23.
When the Biancocelesti met Milan on September 3, 1989, the wins had been 8 so far and the previous win had taken place on April 30, 1978. Lazio had won 1-0 on the pitch but due to a firecracker exploding very near Pietro Ghedin, forcing him to be substituted, Lazio had been given the 2-0 by the Italian Federation sports judicial authorities.
The last thing fans were expecting in 1989 was for Lazio to win. The Biancocelesti the previous year had managed to avoid relegation in the last game, whereas Milan triumphed in the European Cup beating Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in Barcelona. The manager was Arrigo Sacchi and players included Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Carlo Ancelotti, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten.
Lazio had been through a turbulent week with fan protests and talk of manager Giuseppe Materazzi’s job being on the line. The Biancocelesti were also missing their star forward Rubén Sosa. Milan however were without Gullit and Van Basten.
Milan attacked from the start and closed Lazio in their own half for long periods. Early on two headers by Maldini and Daniele Massaro went close. The Biancocelesti however were extremely compact and the Rossoneri had difficulty finding openings up front.
In the 41st minute came the unexpected. From a goal kick by Valerio Fiori, Amarildo headed on to Paolo Di Canio but he was anticipated by by Maldini who went for the back pass to goalkeeper Giovanni Galli. What happened next was a comedy of errors, Maldini hit it too hard and lobbed the keeper who himself was way too far out. Result: an incredible own goal and Milan 0 Lazio 1.
In the second half, Milan continued where they left off but were imprecise and predictable. A lot of crosses into the area for Stefano Borgonovo’s head and a weak Roberto Donadoni left foot which went wide.
Milan were slowly losing confidence and risked further blunders at the back. They continued to push forward but lacked conviction. Ancelotti had a chance but his powerful volley, after chesting it up after the bounce, went wide of the post.
The game followed the same pattern until the end but it was one of those days that the defence wins over the attack, especially a predictable and repetitive one like Milan’s today. Throw into the mix a freakish own goal and you have Lazio defeating the European champions on their own turf. Final score Milan 0 Lazio 1.
An excellent defensive performance by the Biancocelesti who took advantage of an off day by the hosts and an unusual mistake by Maldini to clinch a precious and prestigious victory. Milan had attacked for almost the whole game but Fiori had not had to perform any miracles to keep a clean sheet.
It would take Lazio 30 years to repeat the feat.
In Memory: Ezio Sclavi
Ezio Sclavi was born in Montu’ Beccaria (Pavia, Lombardy), on March 23, 1902.
He started his football at local club Stradellina. In 1923 he was sent to Rome to carry out his compulsory military service and was fortuitously signed up by Lazio. Legend has it that Sclavi was helping set up the infrastructure for the scudetto final between Lazio and Genoa and was noticed by talent scouts while playing a game. Anyway he signed for Lazio despite never having played at top level before.
In his first spell at Lazio (1923-1925) he played 32 times.
In 1925 he joined Juventus but had difficulty establishing himself as first choice keeper and was even sometimes played outfield as a midfielder. Juventus won the league that year and offered him a new contract but as a midfielder so he decided to return to Lazio. In Rome he quickly reclaimed the number one jersey and played with Lazio until 1934.
He is remembered as a real character and a tough nut. In a game against Alessandria in 1931 he fainted after a collision with an opponent and was carried off, he soon insisted to come back on only to be forced off again with a face injury that needed several stitches, but once again Sclavi reappeared between the posts, this time so heavily bandaged that the press at the time likened him to a mummy. His courage was greatly admired and appreciated especially as Lazio went on to win the game. He definitely belonged to another era, on one occasion he even challenged a journalist to a duel after some criticism, the two did later become friends.
In the 1933-34 season he twice underwent meniscus operations and lost his place to Giacomo Blason. He then played briefly for Messina in serie B but he claimed without Lazio he was lost. His disappointment at finishing at Lazio and the fact that a close Jewish friend had to escape abroad due to the racial laws led Sclavi to a drastic decision, he left for Ethiopia as a volunteer. In Africa he set up a rubbish disposal company and continued to be involved with football as player/coach (this time as centre-forward) and won 3 consecutive league titles. All this was interrupted in 1941 when he was imprisoned in a concentration camp by the British. He was held captive for 6 years and finally returned to Italy in 1947 penniless.
He settled in Liguria where he had a sister and returned to his two passions; football and painting. In his playing days in Rome he had started frequenting the artistic circles and mingled with intellectuals and writers such as Alberto Moravia and Elsa Morante. He had also started painting and realized he had a genuine talent. In 1933 he had his first exhibition which had received positive reactions. On his return from Africa he thus took up painting again and established himself as a much admired artist.
In his playing career in two different spells Ezio Sclavi played a total of 255 times for Lazio. He also earned 3 caps for Italy, he probably deserved more but was penalised for not playing for the more ‘influential’ Northern clubs.
Sclavi was no giant physically, he was 1.77 metres tall but what he lacked in height he made up for in courage. He was agile and quick and despite his height was good in the air on high crosses and corners. At Lazio he was one of the more popular players of the period. A real character as the story of his life shows and a player who as they say in Italy “dava tutto per la maglia” (gave everything he had for the jersey). A man and player no-one can forget and even the younger generations have heard of the legendary “portiere-artista” (the artist-goalkeeper). It is said about many people’s lives that they could write a book about it, and this is certainly true in Ezio Sclavi’s case, and in fact they have.
He died at Arma di Taggia near Imola on August 31, 1968.
Birthdays This Week
Milan Bisevac, 31-8-1983, defender, Serbia, 15 appearances, 1 goal (2016)
Pepe Reina, 31-8-1982, goalkeeper, Spain, 54 appearances (2020-22)
Alberto Canalini, 1-9-1882, defender, Italy (early years)
Daniele Filisetti, 2-9-1959, defender, Italy, 80 appearances (1983-87)
Renzo Sassi II, 2-9-1929, midfielder, Italy, 42 appearances, 1 goal (1954-56)
Paolo Paganini, 4-9-1901, midfielder, Italy, 39 appearances (1927-29)
Leonardo Surro, 4-9-1962, forward, Italy, 29 appearances, 2 goals (1981-83)
Walter D’Odorico, 4-9-1913, forward, Italy, 18 appearances, 5 goals (1935-37)
Felipe Caicedo, 5-9-1988, forward, Ecuador, 139 appearances, 33 goals (2017-21)
Sante Ancherani, 6-9-1882, forward, Italy (one of the best players of the early years)
Michele Andreolo, 6-9-1912, midfielder, Uruguay, 38 appearances, 4 goals (1943-45)
Carlo Cudicini, 6-9-1973, goalkeeper, Italy, 1 appearance (1996-97)
This Article Was Written by Dag Jenkins & Simon Basten from Lazio Stories. More Information on the Above Matches and Players can be found on LazioStories.com.
