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This Week In Lazio History: March 2-8

Originally posted on The Laziali | By Lazio Stories | Last updated Mar 8, 2026 2:24 PM ET

This week we remember derby wins, an 8-2 against Fiorentina plus one of the biggest refereeing scandals of all time. We also say goodbye to Rosario Di Vincenzo

Date: Sunday, March 3, 1991
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Juventus 1-0
Forever the gentleman, Zoff jumped off his bench at the final whistle only to regain his composure within seconds, after a Riedle header had given him the satisfaction of beating his former team.

Date: Sunday, March 4, 1990
Venue: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Inter 2-1
The Biancocelesti beat Inter on the day when Malgioglio returned to Rome, years after spitting on the Lazio jersey. Goals from Ruben Sosa and Pin.

Date: Sunday, March 5, 1995
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Fiorentina 8-2
A celebration of Zeman’s football at its best as Lazio put eight goals past Fiorentina. Four goals from Casiraghi plus one each for Negro, Cravero, Boksic and Di Vaio.

Date: Sunday, March 6, 1994
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Roma 1-0
An early goal by Beppe Signori in the haze of smoke bombs was enough for Lazio to beat Roma. Giuseppe Giannini missed a penalty.

Date: Sunday, March 8, 1998
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Roma 2-0
Lazio humiliate city rivals by winning unprecedented fourth derby of the season thanks to Boksic and Nedved

Date: Sunday, March 4, 1962
Venue: Venue: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Napoli 0-0

The Serie B big match was played on a terrible pitch due to the rain. Pierluigi Ronzon opened the hostilities immediately for Napoli but the ball went wide. Angelo Longoni had a chance in the 5th minute but his shot was miscued. A Giancarlo Morrone free kick was well saved by Pontel and Tacchi’s shot in the 11th minute just missed the post. Idilio Cei had work to do on a Gianni Corelli shot and in the 27th minute a Vincenzo Gasperi header following a free kick from Paolo Carosi hit the top of the crossbar.

In the second half Lazio put their foot on the accelerator and in the 76th minute there was a free kick for the Biancocelesti. Gianni Seghedoni sent a curling ball into the net just under the crossbar and Lazio made it 1-0. The Lazio players were overjoyed and the Neapolitans in despair. Referee Iginio Rigato initially gave the goal but the linesman was signalling that the ball had gone out because he saw a ball boy collect it outside the goal. The referee changed his mind. No goal, ball to Napoli. The Lazio players could not believe what they were witnessing. The ball clearly went in and they tried to get the referee to check if there was a hole in the goal. But Rigato just laughed. Adelmo Eufemi found the hole and showed it to the ref, but he was not interested.

The game ended in a goalless draw.

That evening what had happened was all over the news and the TV footage clearly showed that the ball went in. Lazio appealed to the Football League on two accounts: a) it was a goal and b) the ref did not check the goal nets before the match as is obligatory. The club was logically confident.

What happened next: Lazio’s appeal

All Lazio wanted was the repetition of the match. They had won the game in the first half of the season in Naples so they felt rather confident they could beat Napoli again. But the appeal was uphill right from the start. RAI, the Italian state television, refused to hand over the footage, the Federal Appeal Commission (CAF) refused to examine the TV images, the Rome-based media who should have raised hell was very quiet.

The game was not repeated. Lazio Napoli 0-0.

The Hoffenheim- Bayern Leverkusen ghost goal

There was a similar case in Hoffenheim-Bayern Leverkusen played on October 19, 2013. Stefan Kiessling headed the ball in from a corner. Some of his teammates celebrated but strangely he put his head in his hands in despair, as if he had missed a big opportunity. But the ball was in the back of the net!!! And the referee, Felix Brych, gave the goal!!! What happened?

There was a hole in the net. The ball was out but ran along the outside of the net and back into it. The footage was clear and after the game Hoffenheim asked for the match to be repeated. It was not, Hoffenhiem lost the appeal and the game. It was the referee’s mistake and not a technical error.

Rosario Di Vincenzo was born in Genoa, on June 16, 1941.

He started his football in the Genoa youth sector. In 1961 he joined Entella (Chiavari – near Genoa) in Serie D. He played 33 games for the “Diavoli Neri” (The Black Devils).

In 1962 he went to Inter but never made his debut under Helenio Herrera, The Nerazzurri won the Scudetto.

In 1963 he joined Triestina on loan in Serie B. He played 18 games for the “Alabardati’ (The Halberded).

In 1964 he returned to Inter and finally made his debut. He played 3 league games under Herrera and Inter won the Scudetto, European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

In July 1965 he joined Varese in Serie A but only played 5 games before moving to Genoa in Serie B in November. With the Rossoblu he made 18 league appearances.

The following year he was at Potenza in Serie B. He played 38 league games in Basilicata before his big career move.

In 1967 he joined Lazio in Serie B. Under Renato Gei and then Bob Lovati, he played 17 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia (Idilio Cei got 24 league games). Lazio finished 11th.

The following year he played more regularly, as Cei left for Palermo, making 27 league appearances and 1 in Coppa Italia. Lazio won the league under Juan Carlos Lorenzo and returned to Serie A.

The 1969-70 he shared goalkeeping duties with Michelangelo Sulfaro. Di Vincenzo played 16 league games and 3 in Coppa Italia while Sulfaro got 16 league games. Lazio finished a decent 8th.

The 1970-71 season was not as positive for the Biancocelesti. They got relegated back to Serie B under Lorenzo and then Lovati. Di Vincenzo played 21 league games.

In 1971-72 Lazio’s history changed with the arrival of new manager Tommaso Maestrelli. Lazio were promoted but Di Vincenzo only played 2 league games and 4 in Coppa Italia. Claudio Bandoni had arrived from Fiorentina and was the regular choice keeper with 36 league games. During the season Di Vincenzo also had a bust up with the “Maestro” and that was the beginning of the end of his Lazio experience.

In 1972-73, with the arrival of Felice Pulici and the return of Avelino Moriggi, Di Vincenzo joined Brindisi in serie B. He stayed three seasons playing 87 league games for the Apulian Biancazzurri. In his time in Brindisi he was involved in a nasty incident in an away game at Palermo. In an end of match scuffle he caused a Palermo player, Giorgio Barbana, to pass out and then spat on him. This caused inevitable friction with the Rosanero fans and after reciprocal insults and not particularly friendly gestures, one of these fans invaded the pitch and attacked Di Vincenzo causing him to be hospitalized (only until evening). Brindisi were awarded the win by default but the episode did not do Di Vincenzo’s reputation any good.

In 1975 he was back in Serie A when he joined Sampdoria. He stayed three seasons, the first two in the top flight with 10 games and the third in Serie B with no games.

In 1978 he went down a couple of divisions to get more playing time. He joined Imperia, in Liguria, in C2 and made 33 league appearances. In 1979 he joined his last team, Pro Vercelli, in Serie D and played 10 league games.

At 39 he retired as a player but he stayed in the football world. He had an experience as manager for a year at Viterbese and then specialized in what he did best, goalkeeping. He passed on his experience as goalkeepers coach at Napoli (1994-97), Siena (2001-04, also as assistant coach to Giuseppe Papadopulo from his Lazio days), Lazio (2004-05), Palermo (2006) and Sampdoria (2007- youth goalkeepers coach).

Di Vincenzo played 55 games in Serie A and 194 in Serie B. He won a Scudetto in the Inter squad of 1962-63 and another Scudetto, European Cup and Intercontinental Cup in the squad of 1964-65.

It was at Lazio however where he left the biggest mark. He played a total of 102 games for the Biancocelesti. He won two promotions and was a member of the squad leading up to the historical first Scudetto.

He died ealier this week on March 4, 2026.

Renato Bottacini, 2/3/1901, defender, Italy, 85 appearances (1927-31)
Cesare Brunetti, 2/3/1920, midfielder, Italy, 53 appearances, 4 goals (1945-48)
Modibo Diakité, 2/3/1987, defender, France, 90 appearances, 2 goals (2006-13)
Stefano Ferretti, 2/3/1960, midfielder, Italy, 40 appearances, 4 goals (1978-82)
Lorenzo Gaslini, 2/3/1890, goalkeeper, Italy, 21 appearances (1911-13)
Bruno Pereirinha, 2/3/1988, defender/midfielder, Portugal, 27 appearances (2013-15)
Antonio Renna, 2/3/1937, forward, Italy, 34 appearances, 9 goals (1964-66)
Giovanni Seghedoni, 3/3/1932, midfielder, Italy (53 appearances, 1 goal)
Massimo Storgato, 3/6/1961, defender, Italy, 27 appearances (1984-85)
Pierluigi Casiraghi, 4/3/1969, forward, Italy, 188 appearances, 56 goals (1993-98)
Oliviero Garlini, 4/3/1957, forward, Italy, 67 appearances, 19 goals (1984-86)
Romolo Alzani, 6/3/1921, midfielder, Italy, 268 appearances, 7 goals (1945-55)
Amedeo Coraggio, 6/3/1893, forward, Italy, 56 appearances, 10 goals (1910-15)
Emilson Cribari, 6/3/1980, defender, Brazil, 141 appearances, 1 goal (2005-10)
Carlo Galli, 6/3/1931, forward, Italy, 39 appearances, 4 goals (1963-65)
Wesley Hoedt, 6/3/1994, defender, Netherlands, 87 appearances, 4 goals (2015-17, 2020-21)
Luca Pellegrini, 7/3/1999, defender, Italy, 86 appearances, 1 goal (2023-ongoing)
Pierluigi Ronzon, 7/3/1934, midfielder, Italy, 42 appearances (1967-68)
Joao Batista, 8/3/1966, midfielder, Brazil, 53 appearances, 2 goals (1983-85)
Keita Balde, 8/3/1995, forward, Senegal, 137 appearances, 31 goals (2013-17)

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.

This article first appeared on The Laziali and was syndicated with permission.

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