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

This week in Lazio history we remember some fundamental victories and the passing of a Lazio legend: Idilio Cei.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, March 24, 1985 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Roma 1-1 The usual Rome derby: a draw and fights between players.

Date: Saturday, March 25, 2012 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Cagliari 1-0 Lazio clinch win with a late goal by their big French defender Diakité

Date: Sunday, March 27, 1988 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Piacenza 5-2 A convincing win over Piacenza moves Lazio into promotion places ready for the grand finale. Goals from Monelli, Gregucci, Muro and a Savino brace

Date: Sunday, March 28, 1943 Venue: Stadio PNF, Rome Fixture: Lazio Milano 4-2 Six goals all in the first half, give Lazio prestigious victory thanks to Piola, Gualtieri and Borici

Date: Sunday, March 29, 1992 Venue: Stadio Delle Alpi, Turin Fixture: Juventus Lazio 1-1 Lazio get the point they wanted but Juventus equalise in injury time

Match In Focus

Date: Saturday, March 25, 2000 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Roma 2-1

A perfect day for football, sunny, mild and a crowd of 75,000. This was as always a big match, being the local derby, but unlike some years it also meant something in the title race.

Lazio only three days earlier had fought out a tough match at Stamford Bridge, they were also without Sinisa Mihajlovic (suspended) and Alessandro Nesta (injured). Sven-Goran Eriksson left Roberto Mancini, Marcelo Salas and Alen Boksic on the bench and chose Simone Inzaghi up front with Juan Sebastian Veron, Pavel Nedved and Sergio Conceição in support.

Roma had the first chance but a Marco Del Vecchio close range strike was saved by Luca Marchegiani. After only three minutes, however, Roma were already ahead. A medium height Francesco Totti cross was turned in near the goal line by Vincenzo Montella, not without some help from a slightly hesitant Marchegiani. Lazio 0 Roma 1. The nightmares of the away derby, when they had been crushed 4-1 with 4 goals in half an hour with two in the first ten minutes, loomed over the Biancocelesti.

This time however Lazio did not collapse. Hidetoshi Nakata had a long range central shot saved but Lazio too started to have some chances of their own. First Veron headed over the bar and then Nedved had a penalty appeal when he was brought down by Cristiano Lupatelli (in fairness the keeper did touch the ball too).

The game became very dirty with a series of overboard tackles which is nothing new for the Roman derby, traditionally a fierce contest.

In the 25th minute Lazio equalised. A Giuseppe Pancaro cross was met by Inzaghi at the edge of the box, Simoncino then put a left-footed assist into the box for Nedved who at first missed the ball but was then quick to poke in his second attempt. The ball took a slight deflection off Carlos Zago and beat Lupatelli. A mix of timing, perseverance and luck and it was Lazio 1 Roma 1.

Three minutes later Lazio were awarded a freekick about 27 metres out in a central position but were without their master Mihajlovic. Up stepped Veron and Sinisa himself would have been proud of what followed. A perfectly struck shot curled over the wall and made its way into the top left hand corner, a fantastic goal. In three minutes Lazio had turned the derby and their season around. Lazio 2 Roma 1.

The Giallorossi then had two chances to level the score but first Marco Del Vecchio pulled his shot wide and then Totti had a header cleared off the line by Paolo Negro (with Lazio keeper down injured). Before halftime there were two injuries, one per team, in the 37th minute Marcos Cafu hobbled off and in the 43rd Marchegiani, as mentioned, was forced to leave the field due to a serious injury to his neck.

The second half saw Roma take the initiative but they had problems creating any sustained pressure. In the 58th minute Vincent Candela too was unable to continue. Del Vecchio and Totti had a couple of feeble shots and Conceição for Lazio stretched out and almost got a winning touch but the keeper saved with the tip of his fingers. Roma’s best chances came again with Del Vecchio whose acrobatic close range shot was saved and Totti whose curler went over the bar. It was Lazio though who went closest to scoring when a Simeone header literally shaved the post with Lupatelli beaten. The last chance fell to Del Vecchio, his shot was powerful but central.

At the final whistle the exhausted Lazio players fell to their knees before the derby win reinvigorated them and they ran towards the Curva Nord to celebrate.

It had been a tough, hard fought battle as derbies should be. The referee had difficulty keeping it under control and resorted to nine bookings. A derby triumph is always satisfying but these three points also enabled the Biancocelesti to face the title race with renewed optimism. The doom and gloom after Verona was replaced with a new belief. Lazio were now six points off the leaders Juventus and the next match was … against “La Vecchia Signora” in Turin…

In Memory: Idilio Cei

Valerio Idilio Cei, better known as Idilio, was born in Larciano, near Pistoia, on June 8, 1937.

After playing in the youth team of Monsummanese near his home town, Cei signed for Foligno in 1953-54 but in the subsequent season they loaned him to Gualdo. In 1955-56 he was back at Foligno only to go again after a year on loan to Montecatini. He finally became the first choice goalkeeper in 1957.

There were a couple of former Lazio players at Foligno, Zeffiro Furiassi and Alberto Fontanesi, and the manager, Romolo Alzani, had been one of the pillars of Lazio in the past. Alzani noticed how good his keeper was and let his former club know. Lazio signed Cei with the idea of keeping him for the number 12 spot behind Bob Lovati, to allow him to acquire experience.

It would take Cei a few years to consolidate his presence in the Lazio squad. In 1958 he played a few games in Coppa Italia and 8 in Serie A. In 1959 it looked as if he had secured the number one spot since he played a lot more than Lovati but the following year he was third in the goalkeeper hierarchy behind Franco Pezzullo and Bob Lovati.

After the disastrous 1960-61 season which saw Lazio go down to Serie B, Cei became one of the most important Biancoceleste players. Many clubs had set eyes on him but the club, despite the financial difficulties, refused all offers. Cei would go on to play 169 games in Serie A, 100 in Serie B, 19 in Coppa Italia 4 in Mitropa Cup and 2 in the Cup of the Alps over ten seasons and follow in the footsteps of Lazio’s legendary goalkeepers Ezio Sclavi, Uber Gradella, Lucidio Sentimenti IV and Lovati.

Cei was a big man, 1.81 in height and 91 kilos in weight, but he was agile, had a great sense of position, and was physically very strong and powerful. He was one of those goalkeepers who was even able to save the impossible. Similar to Angelo Peruzzi if a comparison can be made.

After leaving Lazio he signed for Palermo in 1968 and stayed there for two years before finishing his career with Larcianese.

Once he stopped playing he started a managerial career. He was head coach for quite a number of minor league teams.

In 1981 he lost his son, 17 years of age, following a motorcycle accident.

He died in Larciano on March 24, 1996.

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