Dino Canestri is another long-time servant to the Lazio cause. Like Bob Lovati, he was a player, manager – both senior and for the youth teams - scout, assistant coach, basically everything you could think of.
He was born in Prato, near Florence, on September 22, 1907. He started his career in the youth teams of his hometown and debuted for Prato in the Italian second division. He was a centre forward until his manager, Hungarian Desiderio Koszegi, moved him to right back and Prato won the Interregional Championship in 1924. When Canestri’s manager moved to Lazio, he specifically asked the club to sign him. The club managed to get their hands on Canestri in 1927 and he debuted for Lazio on October 2 1927. He played for six seasons for Lazio but sadly had to abandon active football in 1933 following a very serious injury in Trieste. He was only 26. He played 35 official games for Lazio with one goal.
He continued to work for Lazio as manager of the youth teams and was very successful. He discovered players such as Umberto Lombardini, Luigi Vettraino, Alessandro Capponi, Corrado Giubilo and many others. In 1941, with the Biancocelesti in very dangerous waters, he substituted Ferenc Molnar as Lazio manager. After 17 games Lazio were second from bottom with only 12 points. But he led the team to safety. During the war years he managed Lazio and with him the Biancocelesti won the first regional wartime tournament of 1943-44.
When things went back to normal he continued coaching Lazio’s youth and was also a scout. In February 1957 he was nominated Technical Director and together with Manager Alfredo Monza had to step in to save Lazio from relegation.
In 1958 he was asked to manage the Amateur Nazionale in view of the Olympic Games and Mediterranean Games. In the latter, Italy won the Gold medal, in the former they reached the semi-finals. After this parenthesis he went back to work for Lazio and stayed until 1964.
He died in Rome on November 2, 1981.
Lazio career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | National Division | Coppa Coni |
1927-28 | 26 (1) | 17 (1) | 9 |
1928-29 | 9 | 9 | - |
Total | 35 (1) | 26 (1) | 9 |
Sources
Vincenzo Cerracchio: Controstoria della Lazio. Historica, 2016
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