This Week In Lazio History: January 19-25

This week we remember some important games, Gottardi’s goal in the derby, a demolition of Milan and a rare win against Juve, plus a happy birthday to Giorgio Chinaglia.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, January 21, 1973Venue: Stadio Olimpico, RomeFixture: Lazio Napoli 3-0 Lazio bury Napoli with three second half goals from Manservisi, Nanni and Chinaglia before game turns ugly

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 1998Venue: Stadio Olimpico, RomeFixture: Roma Lazio 1-2, Coppa Italia, Quarter Finals, second leg Lazio also won the second leg of the Coppa Italia quarter final derby with a goal from Gottardi in the dying minutes of the match.

Date: Sunday, January 22, 1984Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, MilanFixture: Inter Lazio 1-1    Lazio collect a much-needed point thanks to Manfredonia

Date: Sunday, January 24, 1988Venue: Stadio Erasmo Iacovone, TarantoFixture: Taranto Lazio 3-3 Muro’s late free kick completes a comeback after Taranto’s early dominance

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2015Venue: Stadio Olimpico, RomeFixture: Lazio Milan 3-1 Lazio dominate Milan, despite falling behind early, thanks to Klose and Parolo

Match In Focus

Date: Sunday, January 22, 1950Venue: Stadio Comunale, TurinFixture: Juventus Lazio 1-2

This game should have been a mismatch between a very strong team at the top of the table and another weaker team. Should, because on the pitch it looked like the other way round.

In the 5th minute Rinaldo Martino’s shot was just wide, giving the home crowd the illusion that this was just the beginning of an onslaught. But instead Lazio started to put Juventus in difficulty with Enrico Flamini and Flavio Cecconi. The latter hit the woodwork in the 18th minute and a few seconds later his header was marvellously saved by Giovanni Viola. The subsequent corner was fatal for Juve. Aldo Puccinelli’s cross was cleared short by Alberto Piccinini and picked up by Cecconi. He pretended to shoot but passed the ball to Flamini. 1-0 for Lazio.

Eight minutes later Lazio made it two. Long kick from Lucidio Sentimenti IV, ball to Cecconi who passed it to Flamini in the penalty box surrounded by the Juventus’ defence. El Flacco looked up and decided to shoot. The slow ball ended up in the back of the net for Flamini’s double.

Shock result. Lazio slowed down and Juventus charged forward. In the 38th minute Giampiero Boniperti to Martino who crossed the ball in the box for Karl Aage Praest who feigned, taking the Lazio defence by surprise. The ball got to John Hansen who whacked it in.

Lazio reacted and had a few easy chances at the end of the first half with Puccinelli and Cecconi. Viola saved Juventus more than once, particularly on a Vittorio Sentimenti III shot.

Boniperti was moved to the centre in the second half but the danger was avoided by a brilliant performance by Zeffiro Furiassi who never allowed him to shoot. Puccinelli shot too high in the 52nd minute from a favourable position and a minute later there was a great save from Sentimenti IV. A Hansen shot was deflected by Boniperti but the Lazio legend saved this attempt and then another by Martino seconds later.

Lazio tried to make three. In the 61th minute Puccinelli’s shot beat Viola, but not Alberto Bertuccelli who saved. The Juve goalkeeper was miraculous eight minutes later on a Romano Penzo scissor shot as well as on the Norberto Hofling attempted tap in. In the 74th minute Romolo Alzani touched the ball with his hand in the box but the referee signalled to play on. The ball got to Boniperti but Sentimenti IV saved.

Two minutes later, penalty for Juve. The referee, probably having doubts on the previous decision, decided that during an almighty scrum in the Lazio penalty box Alzani had fouled a Juventus player. Giacomo Mari was hypnotised by Sentimenti IV and his shot went wide. That was the end for the Bianconeri.

But not for Lazio. In the 82nd minute Puccinelli dribbled three Juventus players but his shot was just wide. A few minutes later Hofling was fouled by Piccinini in the box but made the mistake of getting up and shooting. Viola saved and the referee did not give a penalty.

In the dying seconds Praest’s desperate shot was again saved by Sentimenti IV. On the subsequent corner the Lazio defence cleared and the ref whistled, game over.

A great and prestigious win for Lazio. They played the perfect match.

In Memory: Piero Cucchi

On January 19 2026, Piero Cucchi, a protagonist of Lazio’s 1969 promotion, died.

He was born in Boffalora Sopra Ticino (Milan) on June 27, 1939.

He started his football with the Torino youth sector but in 1955 joined Piacenza in Serie C. He stayed two years with the “Lupi” (The Wolves) making 37 appearances with 7 goals.

In 1960 he joined Savona again in Serie C. He remained three seasons in Liguria with “Gli Striscioni” (The Striped ones) playing 88 games with 13 goals.

In 1963 he moved up a division to play for Varese in Serie B. In his first year he played 34 games with 1 goal and helped the “Bosini” win promotion to Serie A. In his first year in the top flight he played 26 games with 1 goal (against Roma …) and the Lombards stayed up. The following year he played less, only 9 times, and Varese were relegated. In 1966-67 he regained his first team place and got 36 games with 3 goals.

In 1967 he joined Lazio in Serie B. In his first year Lazio came 11th under Renato Gei and then Bob Lovati. Cucchi played 25 league games with 2 goals (Perugia, Catania) and 2 games in Coppa Italia .

In his second year Juan Carlos Lorenzo was in charge with Bob Lovati on the bench for bureaucratic reasons (no foreign managers were allowed). Cucchi played 32 games with 1 goal (Genoa) plus 2 in Coppa Italia and made a huge contribution to Lazio’s promotion. Lazio won the championship and were back in Serie A.

He started the next season with Lazio playing 7 league games with 1 goal (Fiorentina in 5-1 drubbing) and 3 in Coppa Italia but then parted ways. In the Autumn transfer market session he joined Ternana in Serie B.

He stayed with the Rossoverdi for three seasons playing 73 games with 9 goals. In his last season in Terni he won his fourth promotion to Serie A.

In 1972-73 he moved just slightly further north to Arezzo in Serie B where he played 26 times.

His last club in 1973-74 was one of his former ones, Savona in serie C where he played a final 21 games with 1 goal.

He then retired at 35 after 416 professional league games and 38 goals.

He stayed in football and became a manager. First with Savona in 1974 -75 and then had an endless number of teams from north to south mainly in the C1 and C2 divisions. He won several promotions; Derthona D to C2 (1977-78), Giarre C2 to C1 (1987-88), Ischia Isolaverde C2 to C1 (1990-91), Juve Stabia C2 to C1 (1992-93) and Catania C2 to C1 (1998-99). So a managerial career not without satisfaction.

At Lazio he played a total of 71 games and scored 4 goals. He is remembered as a hardworking midfielder who only stayed just over two seasons but played a major role in Lazio’s Serie B winning side of 1968-69 and consequent promotion back to the big time.

He died in Tortona, near Alessandria, on January 19, 2026.

Birthdays This Week

• Lelio Antoniotti, 19/1/1928 forward, Italy, 53 appearances, 10 goals (1951-53)
• Zeffiro Furiassi, 19/171923, defender, Italy, 124 appearances (1949-54)
• Mauro Tassotti, 19/1/1960, defender, Italy, 47 appearances (1978-80)
• Alfredo Foni, 20/1/1911, defender, Italy, 39 appearances, 3 goals (1929-31)
• Mario Raffo, 20/1/1894, forward, Italy, 57 appearances, 17 goals (1912-22)
• Fernando Saraceni I, 20/1/1891, forward/defender, 182 appearances, 101 goals (1910-24)
• Gabriele Pin, 21/1/1962, midfielder, Italy, 225 appearances, 16 goals (1986-92)
• Renzo Rossi, 23/1/1951, forward, Italy, 16 appearances, 4 goals (1976-77)
• Mario Facco, 23/1/1946, defender, Italy, 172 appearances, 9 goals (1968-74)
• Giorgio Chinaglia, 24/1/1947, forward, Italy, 263 appearances, 140 goals (1969-76, President 1983-86)
• Giovanni Stroppa, 24/1/1968, midfielder, Italy, 58 appearances, 6 goals (1991-93)
• Orlando Tognotti, 24/1/1904, defender, Italy, 64 appearances (1929-32, manager 1948-49)
• Renato Grasselli, 25/1/1894, forward, Italy, 16 appearances, 11 goals (1914-15)
• Pio Maneschi, 25/1/1898, midfielder/forward, 59 appearances, 20 goals (1920-24, 1927-28)
• Marco Parolo, 25/1/1985, midfielder, Italy, 265 appearances, 30 goals (2014-21)

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.