Attilio Ferraris IV is a legendary player. World Champion with Italy in 1934, he was Roma’s first captain, but he then played two years for the better side of the Tiber.
He was born on March 26, 1904 in Rome, and played football right from an early age, just like his brothers Paolo, Gino and Fausto. They all played for Fortitudo, one of the many Rome clubs. However, in 1927, following the merger between Fortitudo, Alba Audace and Roman, Ferraris found himself playing for the new club AS Roma. He became the first historic Giallorosso captain.
He was a great player and very popular with the fans. Once, when he was injured, so many people turned up at his house that the doorkeeper had to put a sign up indicating which floor he lived on and a fan had to organise the crowd flow to and from the house!!!
Despite being a champion, he did not live like a true professional. He drank, smoked and was a Latin lover. He was often late for training and sometimes did not turn up at all. At 30, following another disciplinary problem, he was put out of the squad. But when Vittorio Pozzo started to get his team organised for the World Cup of 1934, he specifically wanted Attilio. So, Ferrari trained harder than he had ever done before, and was one of the protagonists in the World Cup. Italy became World Champions, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1.
The win created interest in the player and Lazio were the club that offered the most money. He moved to the right side of town, but this created a huge outroar among the Roma fans. To appease them, the club inserted a clause in the contract indicating that the Biancocelesti would have to pay a vast amount of money if Ferraris IV played in the derby. The Roma management were convinced that Lazio would never pay. But, a few days before the match, a courier arrived in the Rome offices with a cheque. Ferraris played and was one of the best players on the pitch. The teams drew 1-1.
In his first season for Lazio, Ferraris made 29 appearances but in his second he suffered a severe injury which left him out for most of the year. Considering him a finished player, the Biancocelesti sold him to Bari where he stayed for two seasons and made 56 appearances. Back at Roma in 1938, he stayed a year before finishing his active football career with Catania in 1940.
He played 28 games for his country winning an Olympic Bronze in the Amsterdam Games and a World Cup. He was initially supposed to be one of the reserves but due to the fact that Mario Pizziolo fractured his leg in the first game, he was called up to play in the replayed match against Spain. He was placed at midfield and was one of the protagonists.
With Roma he won a Coppa Coni in 1928.
He died on May 8, 1947 at Montecatini. While he was playing a game among former teammates he suffered a heart attack.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1934-35 | 30 | 30 | - |
1935-36 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
Total | 40 | 39 | 1 |
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