Tommaso Maestrelli

Today is the anniversary of the death of Tommaso Maestrelli.

I'd like to remember him with two short stories from the last period of his life. They tells us a lot about how a great man he was.

"Daje aquilotti, nun se pò sbaja'... su c'è er Maestro che ce sta a guarda'"

Ciao Maestro.



The spyglass on Tor di Quinto

Lazio is facing a difficult time. Three points in the last five matches, the defeat in the derby, the top of the table more and more far away. The away match with Bologna is crucial; another defeat could open the crisis for Lazio.

Each of the players puts a great effort and Lazio manages to win. Everyone is happy and celebrates the important victory with laughs and jokes, but Maestrelli, who instead stands aside, hugging a radiator, with a pale face. “Mister, are you okay?” “I’ve got stomachache, but don’t worry, it must be because of the cold”.
Once back in Rome, after the first checks at the clinic Paideia, Maestrelli is hospitalized. Twenty days later, the surgical operation reveals the gravity of the situation. “There is nothing we can do. We opened, explored, and stitched back”.

Maestrelli spends lot of time on his bed. From his room, he can see the Tor di Quinto football ground, and he uses to follow the Lazio trainings with the help of a spyglass. At the time of the training, Maestrelli would ask his nurse to put a chair out on the balcony; then he would sit there, wearing a robe, scanning far away, like an admiral on the deck of his ship. The doctors told him not to stay for too long on the balcony, but the temptation is too strong.
Eventually, when some of the players come to see him, Maestrelli is ready to tell him off or to commend him: “What’s going on, you were sluggish yesterday” or “You looked great, I’m sure you’ll play a fantastic match on Sunday”


Lazio-Roma, 28 November 1976

Interview from Pulici. “Every goalkeeper knows that there is no such thing as saving by chance. There is an explanation for every save. You get the ball if you are focused, if you have a good spot, if you understand where the ball is heading.
Only once I made a save that I couldn’t explain. 28 November 1976: it’s the Roman derby. Vinicio was our coach. Maestrelli was very ill, with the cancer slowly consuming him. However, that week I heard that there was some improvement in his situation, some progress. Without any reason, I convinced myself that Maestrelli would have been at Olimpico, watching us play. When we stepped onto the pitch I stopped thinking about the Maestro, and I focused on the match.”

Lazio gets the lead at the end of the first half thanks to Giordano, from a dubious off-side position. The second half Roma attacks repeatedly, Lazio suffers and from the stands the impression is that Roma’s equalizer is only a matter of time.

Pulici becomes the protagonist of the match. He is simply amazing. Save after save, the goalkeeper is building his greatest match with the Lazio jersey. The minutes go by and Lazio gets close to the important victory. However, after a Roma’s counter attack Pulici seems about to surrender.
A cross from the left by Conti reaches Pellegrini, only a few meters from Pulici. The header is precise and the ball is heading to the top angle. Curva Sud is ready to explode to celebrate the goal, but Pulici saves. Lazio wins the derby.

Pulici is named man of the match, and then is interviewed by Sandro Ciotti for “Tutto il calcio minuto per minuto”. “I have never dedicated a victory or a save to someone, but that day it was different. I didn’t have to think, I dedicated the derby victory to Tommaso Maestrelli”.

Hearing these words from Pulici was the last happy moment in the life of Tommaso Maestrelli. The coach, the father, the friend was indeed listening to the radio. After hearing Pulici, Maestrelli locks himself in his room and bursts into tears. After a few hours, Maestrelli goes into coma; he dies on Thursday 2 December.

Ciao Maestro.

What a great man he was. Massive respect.

R.I.P. Tommaso Maestrelli

One of the greatest figures in our history. Time to do it for him this weekend.

Ciao Tommaso.

Ciao, Mister Maestrelli.

Ciao Maestro, sempre con noi.

Ciao Maestro.

ok con its time for you to write this kind of our moments in history section,thank you

R.I.P laziale!

phantomm1976 wrote:

ok con its time for you to write this kind of our moments in history section,thank you

I'm actually collecting everything in a book, which hopefully I'll finish one day :)

Conn wrote:

phantomm1976 wrote:

ok con its time for you to write this kind of our moments in history section,thank you

I'm actually collecting everything in a book, which hopefully I'll finish one day :)

And I'll be the first one to buy it...

Ciao Maestro

Ciao Maestro.

Sempre con noi Maestro.

Ciao Maestro...

I hope you have it nice wherever you are!

R.I.P. Tommaso...

Ciao Maestro...

Conn wrote:

phantomm1976 wrote:

ok con its time for you to write this kind of our moments in history section,thank you

I'm actually collecting everything in a book, which hopefully I'll finish one day :)

I've collected your post since old Lazio Fever and still well-organized on my notebook hard disk.