This Week In Lazio History: May 19-25 | OneFootball

This week we have celebrations for the 1974 scudetto, the Cup Winners Cup win, UEFA cup qualification and some great escapes. We also remember the late President Olindo Bitetti.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, May 19, 1974 Location: Stadio Comunale, Bologna Fixture: Bologna Lazio 2-2 Lazio draw in party atmosphere thanks to Petrelli and Chinaglia

Date: Sunday, May 21, 1989 Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Fiorentina 1-0 A Ruben Sosa penalty gives Lazio a deserved win and crucial points.

Date: Sunday, May 22, 1983 Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Atalanta 2-1 The first win in two months plus the news that Giorgio Chinaglia may purchase the club gives fans new hope

Date: Sunday, May 22, 1960 Location: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa Fixture: Genoa Lazio 2-4 Lazio claw themselves out of a difficult situation thanks to Franzini, Carradori and a Rozzoni brace. Two more points needed to avoid relegation with two matches left.

Date: Sunday, May 25, 1997 Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Verona 4-1 Fifth consecutive UEFA Cup qualification, but it was not easy.

Match In Focus

Date: Wednesday, May 19, 1999 Location: Villa Park, Birmingham Fixture: RCD Mallorca Lazio 1-2, UEFA Cup Winners Cup Final

It was a mild, pleasant spring evening in Birmingham. At least 15,000 Laziali and 8,000 Mallorquines had made the trip to the capital of the Midlands.

The town itself had been very welcoming and helpful and there was definitely the feeling a big event was taking place.

Lazio had to do without semi-final hero Alen Boksic, who had a 40° temperature, and initially left out Sergio Conceição. Mallorca played with the predicted line-up, a solid midfield and Dani up front.

Lazio got off to a dream start. Beppe Pancaro, still in his own half, sent a long ball up front to just inside the Spaniards area where Christian Vieri out jumped a defender and lobbed a high header over Carlos Roa, who was too far out. The keeper managed to slap the ball but could not prevent it from going in. A great goal, at the Lazio fans end too. Only seven minutes gone and Mallorca 0 Lazio 1.

The lead however did not last long. Just a few minutes later Leonardo Biagini put a vertical ball through the Lazio defence to the left which found Francisco Soler, the former Barcelona sent in a low cross into the middle and it was child’s play for an unmarked Dani to beat Luca Marchegiani. Ten minutes gone and Mallorca 1 Lazio 1.

Lazio felt the blow and took some time to recover. Mallorca were quicker and extremely well organised, dominating for a while in midfield.

Lazio gradually stirred and Vieri had a powerful shot from twenty metres out saved into corner by Roa. Vieri soon after the goal had suffered a nasty cut above his eyebrow and had to continue the game bandaged up. This did not prevent the Australian raised striker then having a header go just over the bar. Marcelo Salas had an opening, but was just anticipated. Meanwhile, Mallorca were lively and always ready for a counter attack despite not creating any clear cut chances. Halftime 1-1. A balanced 45 minutes, Lazio superior but Mallorca very competitive.

There were no changes after the break. The second half followed a clear script. Lazio attacked in numbers and Mallorca ready to pounce on the counter as they were extremely quick.

Lazio’s first change came in the 56th minute with Conceição replacing an injured Dejan Stankovic, probably in the hope of some decent crosses for Vieri.

The game, despite Lazio’s superior possession and pressure, could have gone either way. Lazio had opportunities with a Sinisa Mihajlovic free kick, just wide, and Vieri was always dangerous in the air, but Mallorca gave as good as they got with a Lauren shot well saved by Marchegiani, then Alessandro Nesta saved on a venomous Jovan Stankovic cross and the Balearics islanders had several corners.

It was obvious the deadlock had to be broken by an “episode”, a touch of brilliance or luck, but whoever had it at this point would almost certainly go on to win the game.

It came with nine minutes to go. Matias Almeyda to Salas and onto Vieri just outside the box. Big “Bobo” tried his luck with a left foot, but it was blocked by a defender, the ball then spun up into the air where both Vieri and a defender missed it and it came down where Pavel Nedved, after a bounce and his back half turned on goal, struck a brilliant shot into the right hand corner. Chaos, confusion but above all delirium in the Lazio sectors. Mallorca 1 Lazio 2.

Mallorca obviously attacked in the last eight minutes plus three of injury time but, apart from several crosses, were never really dangerous.

The “episode” had come and gone and it was Biancoceleste. Full time 2-1 to Lazio.

Alessandro Nesta lifted the last ever Cup Winners Cup to the sky on an unforgettable Birmingham spring evening. Lazio’s first real European trophy.

Celebrations strung out at Villa Park. Both teams were applauded by the opposing fans and then Lazio, changing from their yellow and black shirts with a red sponsor into the more popular light blue and white, came to party under the ecstatic 15,000 travelling faithful.

In Memory: Olindo Bitetti

Olindo Bitetti was born in Caserta on May 6 1886. He has always been considered one of the founders of SS Lazio, even though this would have been difficult since at that time he was only 13 years old. According to Lazio Wiki, he was present at a swimming event on December 26 1902 and they claim that it was probable that he joined in 1903.

Bitetti was the first Lazio Regional Committee Football President in 1909 and in 1912 he was a war correspondent in the Balkan War. During this time, he was elected vice president of the Lazio Sports Sector. He fought in the first world war and became second lieutenant. He was the club’s regent briefly in 1915 together with Gerardo Branca when President Giorgio Guglielmi was ill. He was a fundamental figure in the history of Lazio. He promoted the creation of a football pitch for the club, he founded Circolo Canottieri Lazio and was the first president, and, together with another four partners, raised the money to restructure the Campo della Rondinella where Lazio used to play. He was very active at Lazio: he founded the athletics section, was ad interim Football President in January-April 1938 and was president of Lazio in 1959. He was also president of the Italian Swimming Federation from 1937-40.

Bitetti was also fundamental in avoiding the merger with the other clubs that became AS Roma. When Italo Foschi started his “negotiations” for the formation of a single club in Rome, Bitetti understood what the real plan was. Foschi ordered that Fortitudo, Alba and Lazio should merge into a new club that would be called Associazione Sportiva Roma and bear the colours of the city, red and yellow. The players would come from the first two teams while Lazio would supply the stadium (Campo della Rondinella) and disappear. Bitetti asked General Giorgio Vaccaro, vice president and prominent member of the fascist party, for a hand. “Lazio has been a Moral Body by Royal Decree since 1921 and has a history, it cannot disappear. If we need to create a single club there is no problem, but it has to be called Lazio, the colours have to be white and light blue and the stadium must be the Rondinella”. This was obviously not going to be possible, but General Vaccaro was able to avoid Lazio being included in the new club. Roman, founded in 1901, took Lazio’s place.

The good thing was that Foschi was only interested in the Stadium. Alba too had no intention of joining the new club but they had the best team, so it was impossible for them to refuse.

In justifying the refusal, General Giorgio Vaccaro made the famous proclamation: “Lazio is different. Lazio does not come from, Lazio is. Lazio was born first and the fans came later. For the others there were already fans and a club was created for them to support”.

Bitetti was an exemplary person, a true believer in the values that are behind the creation of SS Lazio, and for this we owe him immense gratitude.

He died in Rome on May 22, 1973.

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