This Week In Lazio History: April 20-26

Date: Sunday, April 26, 2021

Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Milan 3-0 Correa comes to life against the Rossoneri and scores a brace

Match In Focus

Date: Saturday, April 21, 1973

Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Milan 2-1

After 25 games Lazio were second on 37 points, behind leaders Milan on 39. The Biancocelesti had won 14 (including both derbies), drawn 9 and lost 3. They had won the last seven games in a row and had the least beaten defence in Serie A (only 12 goals conceded).

Today was a massive title clash in Rome as Lazio had a chance to reach the Rossoneri. The game had been the talk of the town all week in the capital and Italy in general. The majority of Roman clothes shops and boutiques had even combined light blue and white items in their window displays in support or more likely to try and increase their sales. Either way it was a huge game.

A rainy day in Rome but a massive sell-out crowd, a reported 80,000 despite some controversy over the ticket prices. It was played on Saturday as the next day was Easter Sunday. This game was also shown in a tape-delayed broadcast on national television.

Lazio had some injury worries coming into the game as Pino Wilson and Franco Nanni were in doubt until the last minute but in the end were available. Milan on the other hand were without Romeo Benetti, Giuseppe Sabadini and Pierino Prati.

The grass was slippery due to the rain but playable. Lazio attacked furiously from the start. Giorgio Chinaglia immediately put Dario Dolci in difficulty and in the 5th minute Lazio went ahead. “Long John” charged into the area on the left, went past Dolci and shot a powerful left foot, the ball took a deflection off Karl-Heinz Schnellinger and beat Pierangelo Belli. Lazio 1 Milan 0. Wild scenes at the Olimpico, two fans had heart attacks and were taken away by ambulances while many others fainted.

Lazio dominated and continued to attack. In the 22nd minute though the game was interrupted as a linesman twisted his ankle but after a few minutes was able to continue.

In the 35th minute Lazio were awarded a central freekick just outside the area. During the week Chinaglia had allegedly demolished the bench at the training ground with the power of his shots. He still had strength left as his thundering shot bent the keeper’s hand and went in. Lazio 2 Milan 0. The Milan keeper had to be replaced as the ball, hit with tremendous force and full of water, had fractured his finger. Villiam Vecchi came on to defend the nets.

Milan were in difficulty. Maestrelli’s tactic of placing Pierpaolo Manservisi to mark danger man Gianni Rivera seemed to be working. The first half came to an end and the weather changed too as suddenly there were blue skies and sun. At the break Lazio 2 Milan 0.

The second half began with Lazio seemingly in control but that all changed in the 56th minute. Chinaglia exaggerated and tried to dribble a couple of opponents near the area, he was dispossessed by Alberto Bigon and the ball quickly arrived to Rivera, inside the area on the right and his low crisp shot beat Felice Pulici. Lazio 2 Milan 1. The goal had come out of the blue but suddenly Milan were back in it.

In the meantime, a minute before the goal, the Rossoneri had replaced midfielder Riccardo Sogliano with defender Maurizio Turone.

Milan were transformed and started to push forward with more conviction. In the 67th minute Lazio were forced to replace an injured Luciano Re Cecconi with Giambattista Moschino.

Lazio looked tired and worried the win could be taken away from them and pulled back. They defended well however and Milan had no major chances until the 89th minute.

A Giulio Zignoli cross was prolonged by a Bigon header and reached Luciano Chiarugi who scored. The referee and the linesman however both agreed he was in offside and the goal was ruled out. The Milanisti were seething and Nereo Rocco, following his excessive protests, was sent off. A huge sigh of relief for Lazio. Final score Lazio 2 Milan 1.

Massive celebrations broke out amongst the Lazio fans but Milan’s anger continued in the tunnel and changing rooms with their President Albino Buticchi and Gianni Rivera particularly agitated (Rivera would be suspended for 4 matches then reduced to 2).

A great win for Lazio. It was their 8th consecutive win and they caught up with Milan at the top of the table; Lazio and Milan 39, Juventus 37 with four games to go. Lazio were in dream land.

In Memory: Luigi Polentes

Luigi Polentes was born in San Giacomo di Veglia (Treviso), October 12, 1944.

At 15 Polentes started playing for his local team San Giacomo. He then almost immediately joined nearby Vittorio Veneto in Serie C. He played for the Rossoblu for three years. In his last year they were relegated to Serie D and after 90 appearances Polentes moved on.

In 1965 he joined Empoli in Serie C. He played for the Tuscan Azzurri for two seasons making 65 appearances.

In 1967 he moved to Perugia, newly promoted to Serie B. He stayed with the Grifoni (“The Griffins”) for two seasons playing 83 games.

In 1969 came the big step up to Lazio in Serie A. In his first year in Rome he played 18 matches and scored his first professional goal, away against Verona. Lazio had a good season and finished eighth.

The following year the Biancocelesti ran into problems and were relegated. Polentes again played 18 games in Serie A plus 2 in Coppa Italia. But he did win the Cup of the Alps and played in every single match of the tournament.

In the 1971-72 season Lazio bounced straight back up to Serie A. The Biancocelesti won promotion under new manager Tommaso Maestrelli and Polentes played 28 league games, plus 3 in Coppa Italia.

The 1972-73 season saw Lazio as a protagonist in Serie A, going close to winning the title, but ending up third, only two points behind champions Juventus. Polentes played less regularly making only 7 league appearances and 1 in Coppa Italia, this was mainly due to the rise of local defender Giancarlo Oddi.

In 1973-74 Lazio became Italian champions. Maestrelli’s crazy gang had a fantastic season winning the scudetto ahead of Juventus. Polentes gave his contribution playing 9 times in the league plus 4 in Coppa Italia.

The year after, the Biancocelesti were unable to repeat themselves but were a solid 4th, gaining a UEFA place. Maestrelli started to suffer from a serious illness and the team’s performances were negatively affected. Polentes played 12 games in Serie A, plus 1 in Coppa Italia.

The 1975-76 season was again influenced by Maestrelli’s failing health and also by the fact that talisman “Long John ” Chinaglia had left to play for New York Cosmos. Lazio got involved in the relegation battle but managed to stay up. Polentes played 18 times in Serie A and 2 games in Coppa Italia.

The 1976-77 season would be Polentes’ last for Lazio. The Biancocelesti, under manager Luís Vinicio, had a better season and came 5th, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Polentes however only played one game in Serie A. In the summer of 1977 he decided to move on. He had made a highly respectable 144 appearances for Lazio and scored one goal.

In 1977-78 he played for Modena in Serie B. He played 28 games for the “Canarini” (Canaries) but the Gialloblu were relegated to Serie C.

Polentes then returned to Vittorio Veneto near home and played two more years at regional level.

At this point, at 36 years of age, Polentes decided it was enough and called it a day.

After retiring he stayed in his local area and went into the wine business. He became a winegrower in San Martino di Colle Umberto near Treviso. His wines gained a good reputation in the trade. He also kept his connections with local club Vittorio Veneto becoming president of the former players association. He was also active in social and voluntary work.

Polentes was a tough and physically strong defender. He could play both at full-back and at centre-back. He was what Italians call “roccioso” meaning made of stone. He was extremely fit and strong and no doubt not a pleasure to be marked by. He had the peak of his career at Lazio with the incredible added satisfaction of becoming Italian champion. His name is not reeled off in the historic starting eleven but he is remembered as part of that bizarre group of characters that gave Lazio fans the ultimate joy of the 1974 scudetto. Polentes certainly gave an important contribution.

Luigi Polentes died on April 21, 2011, in Vittorio Veneto.

Birthdays this Week

• Andrea Agostinelli, 20-4-1957, midfielder, Italy, 96 appearances, 3 goals (1975-79)
• Denis Vavro, 21-4-1996, defender, Slovakia, 21 appearances, (2019-21)
• Egidio Fumagalli, 21-4-1937, midfielder, Italy, 61 appearances, 6 goals (1958-61)
• Stefano Malacarne, 21-4-1925, midfielder, Italy, 92 appearances (1950-55)
• Antonio Rizzolo, 22-4-1969, forward, Italy, 50 appearances, 8 goals (1987-89)
• Franco Carradori, 24-4-1934, midfielder, Italy, 165 appearances, 13 goals (1955-61)
• Ruben Sosa, 25-4-1966, forward, Uruguay, 140 appearance, 47 goals (1988-92)
• Kurt Christiansen, 26-4-1957, midfielder, Denmark, 22 appearances, 3 goals (1964-65)
• Luigi Corino, 26-4-1966, defender, Italy, 46 appearances (1991-94)
• Giuseppe Massa, 26-4-1948, forward, Italy, 168 appearances, 35 goals (1967-72)

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.