Tozzi show in Lazio win
Two late goals by the unpredictable Brazilian give Lazio victory
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Lazio had arrived 12th the previous season and only narrowly avoided relegation. They had gone through three different managers in the process.
This season they had kept the last manager on, Fulvio Bernardini. They already had started their Coppa Italia campaign in June. Lazio had eliminated Palermo (5-1, 2-2), Roma (3-2, 1-1) and Napoli (3-1,4-0) in a group stage, then Marzotto Valdagno 2-1. In the semi-final they beat Juventus 2-0 and then on September 24 triumphed in the final against Fiorentina. A Maurilio Prini goal was enough to give Lazio their first historic silverware. Top Cup scorer was Humberto Tozzi with 10 goals.
There had unfortunately been a major change to the Lazio squad. It was more a trauma, as Swedish idol Arne Selmosson, (nicknamed "Raggio di Luna", Moonbeam, for the pallor of his skin) after 3 highly successful seasons and 31 goals in 101 games for Lazio, had done the unmentionable; he had swapped “sides of the Tiber” and signed for bitter rivals Roma.
It was a major event in Rome and some people, especially non-Romans, were even said to have changed teams siding with the Giallorossi just so they could continue following the Swede (such as former Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, just to name one). Until 2018 he was the only player to have scored for both Lazio and Roma in derbies (since emulated by Kolarov and Pedro). So, Lazio would start the season "Selmossonless".
This was the main talking point but there had been other changes too.
Lazio had added goalkeeper Idilio Cei (Foligno), defender Franco Janich (Atalanta), midfielder Carlo Tagnin (Alessandria), forwards Maurilio Prini (Fiorentina) and Claudio Bizzarri (Fiorentina).
Other players leaving apart from "Raggio di Luna" were midfielder Luigi Fuin (Juventus) and forwards Ermes Muccinelli (Juventus) and Pasquale Vivolo (Genoa).
In Serie A Lazio were currently joint 11th on 10 points. The Biancocelesti had won 3, drawn 4 and lost 3 (including derby 1-3). They had a game in hand as the fixture away to Alessandria on December 7 had been postponed in the 46th minute due to fog (a crafty thing in those days to start the second half so as not to have to reimburse tickets). The game would be played on December 24, so in three days' time.
Today was actually Lazio's first game since November 30.
Bologna had finished 6th the previous season, first under Yugoslav Ljubo Benčic and then, from the 9th fixture, Hungarian György Sárosi. Bologna had lost 3-4 away to Lazio but won 5-0 at home. Top scorers were Ezio Pascutti and Gino Pivatelli with 12 league goals each.
This season the manager was former Lazio player Alfredo Foni (1929-31). The main new players were midfielder Romano Fogli (Torino) and forward Marino Perani (Atalanta).
Leaving were midfielder and future Lazio Vincenzo Gaspari (SPAL) and forward Giuseppe Malavasi (Sambenedettese). So pretty much an unchanged squad.
The Felsinei were currently in joint 8th place with Juventus on 11 points. The Rossoblu had won 3, drawn 5 and lost 3. Their most recent game had been a 1-1 away draw at Vicenza.
A mid-table clash today. Lazio hoped to overtake the Emiliani even before their mid-week game in hand.
The match: Sunday, December 21, 1958, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A cloudy day in the capital and the pitch was slightly slippery due to earlier showers. The crowd was about 30,000.
Lazio had no important defections while the visitors had to do without Danish midfielder Axel Pilmark.
Lazio attacked from the start but their shots were all off target; Bruno Franzini in the 5th and 8th minutes and Egidio Fumagalli in the 12th failed to dirty Attilio Santarelli's gloves. They went closer in the 20th but Fumagalli hit the post.
In the 25th minute Lazio appealed for a penalty. It looked clear to all as Giovanni Mialich tripped up Humberto Tozzi but the referee did not see or did not want to see.
Bologna at this point took courage and the game became more balanced. In the 31st minute Giulio Bonafin struck from about twelve metres out but Bob Lovati caught safely.
In the 34th minute a good move by Tozzi and Carlo Tagnin was wasted by Giorgio Bravi who shot wide from a good position.
As mentioned, the Rossoblu no longer only defended but counterattacked. On one of these breaks in the 45th minute they scored. Bonafin crossed to Cesarino Pivatelli who hesitated and Ugo Pozzan cleared but only as far as Ezio Pascutti, the striker pounced and beat Lovati. Lazio 0 Bologna 1 at halftime.
Lazio undeservedly trailing. The Biancocelesti had started well although the game had evened out after the denied penalty.
In the second half Lazio started out in attacking mode again. In the 47th minute Santarelli was finally called into action when he dived to stop a Tagnin volley.
Lazio pushed but Bologna were dangerous on the break. In the 50th minute Lovati had to rush off his line to interrupt a Bonafin-Pascutti combination and in the 58th saved from Marino Perani. In the 63rd minute Bonafin only had Lovati to beat but hesitated and put the ball wide.
At this point the game took on a repetitive theme. Lazio constantly on the attack and Bologna increasingly cautious. Tozzi led the way but his efforts and those of his teammates were repelled time and time again by the Bologna barricade.
In the 78th minute however came the breakthrough. Tozzi went past Luigi Bodi and then Mailich before hitting a low strike into the right-hand corner. Lazio 1 Bologna 1.
Tozzi was on a high and in the 85th minute scored again. He brilliantly skipped past three defenders and blasted the ball past Santarelli coming off his line. Lazio 2 Bologna 1.
Pascutti was then sent off for excessive protests for reasons unknown.
In ten men Bologna tried to react but Lazio never gave them a chance to start any counterattacks. It was Lazio who should have been awarded another penalty when Fumagalli weaved his way through the Felsinei's backline before being tripped by Battista Rota. A blatant foul but yet again Butti looked the other way.
Not to worry, the game ended with a Lazio win, 2-1.
An important win for the Biancocelesti. They had been more dynamic, had more chances and generally played better. The hero was of course Tozzi who with his brilliance had overturned the score.
Lazio were now up to joint 10th with Padova on 12 points but with a game in hand. Bologna were down to 12th.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Bernardini
Who played for Bologna
Santarelli, Rota, Pavinato, Bodi, Mialich, Fogli, Perani, Pivatelli, Bonafin, Vukas, Pascutti
Manager: Foni
Referee: Butti
Goals: 45' Pascutti, 78' Tozzi, 80' Tozzi
Red Card: 81' Pascutti (B)
What happened next
Lazio won 2-0 in Alessandria and were briefly 7th. The Biancocelesti eventually finished 11th, on 30 points. After Alessandria they won 5, drew 6 and lost 11. Their best result over the rest of the season was beating Juventus 1-0 at home. Lazio's top scorer was Humberto Tozzi with 16 goals (14 in the league).
In Coppa Italia, Lazio went out in the quarter finals to Inter 0-1 at home.
Bologna finished 10th, on 31 points. From today they won 7, drew 6 (including Lazio 1-1) and lost 9. Top scorer was Ezio Pascutti with 17 league goals.
In the Coppa Italia Bologna beat Milan 3-2 in the last 16 but then they too were eliminated in the quarters, losing 1-2 away at Genoa.
Serie A champions were Milan for their 7th title. It was Serie B time for Triestina and Talamone Torino (Triestina have never made it back since).
Let's talk about Giorgio Bravi
Giorgio Bravi was born in Rome on May 31, 1936.
He started playing football with Roma's youth set up but then switched to Lazio.
In the 1955-56 season he joined the first team squad but did not debut. The manager was first Luigi Ferrero and then Jesse Carver and the Biancocelesti finished 3rd in Serie A.
In 1956-57 Bravi went to Taranto on loan. The Rossoblu were in Serie B and finished 17th under three different managers: Mario Perazzolo (1-14), Pietro Bortoletto (15-17) and finally Leonardo Costagliola (18-34). Bravi played 27 league games with 5 goals (Bari, Legnano home and away, Parma x2).
In 1957-58 he went back to Lazio and stayed two seasons. In the first the Biancocelesti had three managers: Milan Ćirić (1-19), Alfredo Monza (20-34) and Fulvio Bernardini (for the Coppa Italia) and Lazio finished 12th. Bravi played 6 league games and another 15 in the reserve league.
The following season Bernardini stayed on. Lazio won the previous year's Coppa Italia which had started in the summer and saw its climax on September 24 when the Biancocelesti beat Fiorentina 1-0 to lift their first ever silverware. In the league Lazio finished 11th. Bravi played 11 league games with 2 goals (Udinese, Triestina) plus a game in the 1958-59 Coppa Italia.
In 1959 he joined Siena where he remained for two years. The Tuscan Bianconeri were in Serie C and finished 4th twice. Bravi played 54 league games and scored 8 goals. His teammates included legendary Roman manager "Sor" Carletto Mazzone plus former Lazio midfielder Dante Castellazzi (1955, 1957-59).
In 1961-62 Bravi spent a season with Prato in Serie B. The "Fiordalisi" (The Bluebottles) were relegated under Cesare Meucci and then László Székely. He played 21 league games with 2 goals (Monza, Lucchese) and 2 games in Coppa Italia.
He then played for Marsala in Sicily in Serie C, finishing 7th before returning to Siena for one final season.
The Robur were still in Serie C and finished 8th under Enrico Radio and then Lauro Toneatto. Bravi played 21 league games with 4 goals.
He retired at 28 and went into coaching.
He started at Roma' youth academy from 1972 to 1977. In 1978-79 he was assistant manager, first to Gustavo Giagnoni and then Ferruccio Valcareggi, for the Giallorossi first squad.
In 1980-81 he was head coach at Siena in C2 but was replaced by Costanzo Balleri. The Bianconeri then finished 4th.
He then coached at Banco di Roma (1982-83 in C2, 12th), Lodigiani youth academy (1983-86) and then at lower levels (A.S.D Tanas Casalotti).
Bravi was a midfielder. The peak of his career was with Lazio in Serie A. He went between the first team and the reserves but played 17 games with 2 goals and won a Coppa Italia in 1958. He had also won a national reserve league title in 1956.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1957-58 | 6 | 6 | - |
1958-59 | 12 (2) | 11 (2) | 1 |
Total | 18 (2) | 17 (2) | 1 |
Sources
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