Today in Serie A: November 27, 1994 – Mazzone’s Roma Derby Masterpiece | OneFootball

Despite a four-point-only gap in the Serie A league table between Roma and Lazio, ahead of the Derby della Capitale scheduled on November 27, 1994, odds looked much more in favor of the Biancocelesti. In the forthcoming week to the city showdown, a local sport magazine compared the two starting lineups, player by player: The result showed a crushing 11-0 in favor of Lazio.

But the Giallorossi were trained by the unforgettable Carlo Mazzone, born and raised in the Roman historical neighborhood of Trastevere. Mazzone was in charge since 1993, when, at 56, he had finally fulfilled his childhood dream of coaching the club he always supported.

Sor Carletto was a rough and tough man, but also a fine psychologist: When he came to know about the magazine poll, he got the idea of showing it to his team, and ordered his staff to hang copies of it on the walls of Trigoria, the Roma training center. That was exactly the kind of boost his players needed!

On match day, after both supporting sides caught applauses at the beautiful choreographies shown on the stands of the Stadio Olimpico, Mazzone’s psychological move quickly produced results.

On two minutes, Daniel Fonseca crossed the ball for Abel Balbo, whose perfect header beat Luca Marchegiani for the first time. Twenty minutes later, an attacking play by Francesco Moriero resulted in Massimiliano Cappioli doubling Roma’s lead.

After the break, a perfectly timed assist by Captain Giuseppe Giannini for Fonseca set the score to 3-0. Lazio were shocked and stunned, and needed to thank Marchegiani first (for an amazing save on a shot by Fonseca), and then Lady Luck (when Balbo hit the crossbar from another Fonseca assist) for preventing the gap from getting wider.

The post match was an emotional one, with Mazzone running to celebrate under the South Stands, and supporters acclaiming their commander-in-chief, Il Principe (“The Prince”) Giannini, who was raised to triumph by his teammates as he made the sign of a “three” with his hand.