This Week In Lazio History: September 1-7 | OneFootball

This week in Lazio history is characterized by important wins in Naples and Milan, the Supercoppa triumph against Inter and we remember Nicola Lo Buono, one of the 1958 Coppa Italia heroes.

Matches of the Week

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.

Date: Friday, September 8, 2000 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Inter 4-3, Supercoppa Claudio Lopez scores a brace as Lazio win the Supercoppa.

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: Nicola Lo Buono

Nicola Lo Buono was born in Bari on June 4, 1933. In the summer of 1955 during a match between Serie D North and South, he was spotted by Lazio scout and former player Carlo Parola. Lo Buono was then signed by Lazio. He stayed until 1962.

As a player, Lo Buono was a left full-back. He played 103 games for Lazio over seven seasons plus 60 in the reserves league (Lazio won it in 1954-55). He was a pillar of the 1958 Coppa Italia winning team, playing every game. That first Lazio triumph took on legendary status for later generations, a team that had actually won something, also thanks to him.

He retired early at 31, hampered by physical problems, and became a manager. He started at Formia, in South Lazio, in 1964 at amateur level. He would then coach ten different amateur regional clubs over the next 15 years. He won 7 promotions and in 1976-77 won the “Seminatore d’oro” award while manager at Colleferro (near Rome) as the best Italian Amateur League coach.

Lo Buono died on September 8, 2009, in Rome.

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