This week in Lazio history sees epic wins, Gazza’s last minute header in the derby and we remember the legendary Lucidio Sentimenti IV.
Matches of the Week
Date: Sunday, November 25, 1984
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Como 3-2
Inspired performances by Laudrup and Manfredonia help Lazio clinch crucial win
Date: Sunday, November 25, 2007
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Parma 1-0
A last gasp deflected goal by Firmani allows Lazio to honour the memory of Gabriele Sandri
Date: Sunday, November 28, 1982
Venue: Stadio Comunale, Pistoia
Fixture: Pistoiese Lazio 0-1
A Vella goal gives the Biancocelesti their sixth win in a row
Date: Sunday, November 28, 1976
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Roma 1-0
A fantastic goal by Giordano plus a number of Pulici miracles give Lazio a precious win in the derby
Date: Sunday, December 1, 2002
Venue: Stadio Leonardo Garilli, Piacenza
Fixture: Piacenza Lazio 2-3
In a game heavily affected by thick fog Lazio recover from a two-goal deficit and win 3-2 in the last seconds
Match In Focus
Date: Sunday, November 29, 1992
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Roma 1-1
The derby, played in front of a full house (75,000), came after four consecutive 1-1 results and was not a classic. It was a nervy, sometimes dirty affair (Amedeo Carboni forced off early on), with provocative behaviour on both sides, but above all a desperate fear of losing. The real spectacle was as usual in the “curve” where the Lazio and Roma fans displayed their huge passion and colourful choreographies. Down on the field there was also passion but of a more negative type with tight man to man marking and constant fouls stopping and starting a mediocre event with goal scoring opportunities few and far between.
The second half however was awoken with a bang thanks to a massive defensive blunder by Lazio defenders Roberto Cravero and Angelo Gregucci, allowing Roma captain Giuseppe Giannini to slot the ball in unmarked.
The goal should have galvanized Roma but instead seemed to relax the “Giallorossi” into thinking maybe they had done enough. Lazio’s reaction was by no means venomous but a colossal chance for Thomas Doll who pulled it just wide and a thunderous shot by Diego Fuser which hit the crossbar and bounced up off the line (possibly over but pre-goal line technology) were warning signs for Roma. They themselves did waste a few potentially dangerous counter attacks but were ultimately punished for their passiveness in the dying minutes. A foul by Antonio Tempestilli on Fuser gave Lazio a freekick about 35 metres out and a high floating ball from Beppe Signori was met by Paul Gascoigne who out-jumped the Roma defenders and with a powerful header beat Giuseppe Zinetti. From agony to ecstasy.
Gazza, who had not really been in the game, became the hero of the hour in what will always be remembered as Gazza’s derby. His run under the Curva Nord, arms outstretched, and his subsequent tears have gone down in Lazio history. Gazza was already unconditionally loved at Lazio but that derby equaliser made him immortal.
In a pre-match interview Gazza in his unique Geordie-Italian dialect had said something about hoping the fans could “beava champeana” (bere champagne / drink champagne) … maybe it wasn’t champagne but it was with great satisfaction that Lazio fans enjoyed their nerve steadying post-match beers.
In Memory: Lucidio Sentimenti IV
We have spoken before of the Sentimenti brothers. Today we remember the legendary goalkeeper Lucidio Sentimenti IV.
Lucidio was born in Bomporto (Modena) on July 1, 1920 and started his professional career with Modena in 1938. He just wanted to play football, anywhere on the field, and he even played in attack for a while until manager Umberto Caligaris put him in goal. Sentimenti IV played in Emilia Romagna for four years and helped Modena stay in Serie A for three of those years.
Lucidio was not only a goalkeeper and he occasionally took penalties. His brother Arnaldo in the 1941-42 season had saved nine consecutive penalties playing for Napoli. There was a penalty during Napoli Modena and Lucidio went to take it. He scored, ending Arnaldo’s record. Arnaldo took it very badly and did not speak to his brother for two years!!!
In 1942 Sentimenti IV moved to Juventus, who were looking for a quality goalkeeper, joining his brother Vittorio. He stayed until 1949 playing four seasons in Serie A plus the strange 1945-1946 Campionato which was divided into two groups, North and Centre-South, just like the Championships prior to 1929 when the single Serie A was introduced. In that season he even played right winger for a few matches due to injuries and scored four goals.
In 1949 Juventus thought that he was no longer as competitive as he had been and sold him to Lazio together with Vittorio. Lazio were looking to substitute Uber Gradella and Sentimenti IV was a perfect replacement. He became a team leader and in the first three years Lazio came fourth. The team played some good football and were admired by the whole of Italy.
Lucidio played for Lazio until 1954 when he moved to Vicenza. He played with the Biancorossi until 1957 and helped them get a promotion in Serie A in 1954-55. In 1957 he moved to Turin to play in IV Division Cenisia. He stayed there until 1960 with the exception of a brief return in 1959 for a handful of games for Torino.
He was not particularly tall (only 1.70) but had a great sense of position and what he lacked in height he made up for with his athleticism. He was also a very modern goalkeeper and often used his feet to save goals. His only fault was that he was sometimes a little over confident that some shots were going over the crossbar or wide, and sometimes they did not. Lazio supporters at one point convinced the management to have an optician thoroughly check his eyesight.
He played 9 times for the Nazionale over eight years and was part of the squad that participated in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. He played the first game against Sweden (Italy lost 3-2). In 1947 Italy played a friendly against Hungary in Turin. There were ten players from the Great Torino plus Sentimenti IV. Italy won 3-2.
After he quit football he became a manager and was in charge of Juventus’ youth teams for a while in the early 1970s.
He died in Turin on November 28, 2014.
He played 170 games for Lazio and scored three goals, all on penalty kicks.
Lazio has had a tradition of legendary goalkeepers. Lucidio Sentimenti IV is certainly one of them.
Birthdays This Week
- Toma Basic, 25/11/1996, midfielder, Croatia, 70 appearances, 2 goals (2021-ongoing)
- Gabriele Podavini, 25/11/1955, defender, Italy, 171 appearances, 12 goals (1982-87)
- Michelangelo Sulfaro, 26/11/1946, goalkeeper, Italy, 36 appearances (1969-71)
- Roberto Mancini, 27/11/1964, forward, Italy, 136 appearances, 24 goals (1997-00)
- Lionello Manfredonia, 27/11/1956, defender/midfielder, Italy, 234 appearances, 10 goals (1975-85)
- Manuel Lazzari, 29/11/1993, defender, Italy, 199 appearances, 6 goals (2019-ongoing)
- Alfredo Napoleoni, 29/11/1937, midfielder, Italy, 18 appearances, 1 goal (1957-58, 1960-62)
- Umberto Busani, 1/12/1915, forward, Italy, 117 appearances, 41 goals (1936-40)
- Luciano Re Cecconi, 1/12/1948, midfielder, Italy, 139 appearances, 9 goals (1972-77)
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.
