Eagles sink Venezia
In a difficult match, Lazio win thanks to goals from Ispiro, Koenig and Puccinelli
Also on this day:
The season so far
In the previous season the teams from Serie A and B had been grouped together and divided into two groups according to geographical location. This was in order to lessen the burden of travel in a devastated country following the end of World War II. Lazio finished seventh. A mediocre season for the Biancocelesti with a terrible first half and a better second.
The manager, Toni Cargnelli had been confirmed and there had been some new entries as far as players were concerned. Defenders Luigi Cassano (Alessandria), Emilio Carton (Verona), midfielders Antonio Sessa (Pro Gorizia) and Luciano Ramella (Como) and forwards Mario Magrini (Pro Gorizia), Bruno Ispiro (Genoa) and Cesare Ferronato (Bassano). There was a lot of optimism, and Lazio were considered a possible outsider.
So far, Lazio were struggling. They were 12th just three points above the relegation zone. A win today would be very important.
The match: Sunday, January 12, 1947, Stadio Nazionale, Rome
Lazio started the game well and were immediately dangerous with Henglebert Koenig and Bruno Ispiro whose shots were well saved by Arrigo Benussi. In the 11th minute the Biancocelesti went ahead. Koenig crossed into the box from the right, Silvio Di Gennaro failed to clear and Ispiro made it 1-0.
The Venetians at this point began to control the game in the pursuit of an equaliser. In the 25th minute Uber Gradella was forced to make a great save on a Bruno Dante shot. The pressure on the Lazio defence increased and Venezia scored. In the 27th minute Mario Renosto took a free kick on the right, Francesco Pernigo headed towards Dante, ball to Valeriano Ottino, 1-1.
The second half opened with a dangerous pass back to the keeper from Romolo Alzani which shaved the crossbar. Venezia started to tire and the Biancocelesti took over. In the 68th minute Aldo Puccinelli beat Di Gennaro for speed and attempted a shot at goal. Benussi parried but the ball went directly to Koenig who put Lazio ahead.
Eight minutes later Puccinelli dribbled past Di Gennaro again, went past Benussi and made it 3-1.
Game over but it was not easy.
Who played for Lazio
Gradella, Cassano, Valenti, Alzani, Gualtieri, Brunetti, Puccinelli, Magrini, Koenig, Ispiro, Flamini
Manager: Cargnelli
Who played for Venezia
Benussi, Bellesini, Di Gennaro, Sgobbi, Puppo, Trentin, Renosto, Novello, Pernigo, Dante, Ottino
Manager: Marini
Referee: Bernardi
Goals: 11’ Ispiro, 27’ Ottino, 68’ Koenig, 76’ Puccinelli
What happened next
At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were tenth with a five-point cushion on the relegation zone and miles away from the top. Very inconsistent, the Biancocelesti had some good wins (Bologna 3-1, Sampdoria 4-0) but bad losses (4-1 against Fiorentina and 5-1 to Torino). After 25 games they were in the relegation zone, but thanks to Enrique Flamini's return they managed to work themselves up and reach tenth place at the end of the season. In the last 13 matches they lost just one and won five.
Aldo Puccinelli was the player with most appearances (36) as well as the top scorer with 13 goals.
What happened in Serie A 1946-47
Italy was still coming out of the destruction caused by World War II. The previous season the championship had been divided into two groups, a northern one and a centre-south one in order to reduce movement across a devastated country. The top four teams of each group would then meet for the final round robin phase. Torino, Inter, Juventus and Milan qualified for the north, Napoli, Bari, Roma and Pro Livorno for the centre-south. Torino won the final group with a single point over Juventus. Coming into the last game the two Turin clubs were both on 20 points but then Juve only managed a draw in Naples while Torino crushed Pro Livorno at home 9-1.
In this season, the Italian Football Federation decided to go for a single Serie A with 20 participants which included those who had acquired the right in 1942-43 (Modena and Brescia who had been promoted), Bari, the new club Sampdoria formed from the definitive merger between Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria, Alessandria who had won the league formed of Serie B and C teams the previous season, and Napoli who had won the centre-south league in 1945-46.
Torino were the main favourites to win. The last three teams would face relegation.
September
Bologna started well winning their first two games as did Juventus. Strange seeing Inter so far back as they drew with Fiorentina and lost at home to Atalanta. But it was very early stages.
Bologna 4, Juventus 4, Torino 3, Genoa 2, Napoli 2, Modena 2, Lazio 2, Livorno, 2, Roma 2, Atalanta 2, Bari 2, Sampdoria 2, Vicenza 2, Brescia 2, Venezia 2, Triestina 1*, Fiorentina 1, Inter 1, Milan 0*, Alessandria 0
* One game in hand
October
In the four games of October, Roma crushed Lazio in the Roman derby, Milan and Juventus drew with a spectacular 3-3, the Rossoneri won the Milan derby whereas there was a goalless draw in the Turin one. Torino were struggling a little bit. Modena were doing surprisingly well.
Bologna 11, Modena 10, Juventus 10, Roma 8, Torino 7, Vicenza 7, Bari 7, Livorno 6, Sampdoria 6, Atalanta 6, Genoa 5, Inter 5, Napoli 5, Brescia 5, Milan 4*, Lazio 4, Fiorentina 4, Venezia 4, Alessandria 2, Triestina 2*
* One game in hand
November
Torino won in Milan against Inter and then beat Bologna 4-0 at home. Their four consecutive wins in November left them just one point behind leaders Juve and Bologna. Below the situation already looked pretty grim for Alessandria whereas the Milanese teams had had an appalling start.
Juventus 16, Bologna 16, Torino 15, Modena 13, Sampdoria 12, Livorno 11, Roma 11, Bari 11, Napoli 10, Vicenza 10, Milan 9*, Lazio 9, Fiorentina 8, Genoa 8, Inter 8, Atalanta 8, Venezia 8, Brescia 7, Triestina 5*, Alessandria 2
* one game in hand
December
Bologna drew at home with Juventus and started losing ground. The Bianconeri beat Inter at home and took advantage of Torino drawing in Naples to take the lead. But it did not last long since in the next game they lost at Modena and were overtaken by the Granata who beat Fiorentina 7-2. Behind Inter still had problems, Milan were gradually moving up as were Alessandria. Modena were third, continuing the good work.
Torino 22, Juventus 21, Modena 20, Sampdoria 17, Bologna 17, Bari 17, Milan 16*, Roma 16, Napoli 15, Livorno 14, Genoa 13, Lazio 12, Fiorentina 12, Vicenza 11, Alessandria 10, Inter 10, Brescia 10, Venezia 9, Atalanta 9, Triestina 7*
* one game in hand
January
Torino very surprisingly lost at Alessandria and were caught up by Juve. Milan moved up but lost against the Granata at the end of the month. Four games of the 18th fixture list were postponed due to snow in the north of Italy.
Juventus 28, Torino 28, Modena 25*, Bari 23, Milan 22, Napoli 20, Sampdoria 19, Bologna 19*, Roma 19*, Lazio 18, Genoa 16, Livorno 16, Alessandria 14, Vicenza 14*, Fiorentina 14, Atalanta 13*, Inter 11*, Venezia 11*, Brescia 11*, Triestina 11
* one game in hand
February
Juventus won in Rome against Lazio and took advantage of Torino drawing at home with Modena to go +1. Two games later It was Torino’s turn to beat Lazio and go top due to Juve losing at Alessandria.
Torino 33, Juventus 32, Modena 30, Bari 26, Milan 25*, Napoli 24, Bologna 23, Sampdoria 21, Livorno 21, Genoa 20, Alessandria 19, Roma 19, Lazio 18, Inter 17, Vicenza 17, Fiorentina 17, Venezia 16, Atalanta 16, Brescia 13, Triestina 11*
* one game in hand
March
Torino went off on their own and now had a +5 lead over Modena. Juve lost at home to Milan, in Florence and the derby so fell considerably behind. The Rome derby finished in a goalless draw; Milan won theirs.
Torino 41, Modena 36, Milan 36, Juventus 35, Bari 29, Bologna 27, Napoli 27, Sampdoria 26, Genoa 25, Vicenza 25, Livorno 24, Atalanta 24, Alessandria 23, Inter 22, Roma 22, Lazio 21, Venezia 21, Fiorentina 21, Brescia 19, Triestina 16
April
Torino still on +5 at this point the scudetto was theirs for the taking. Below, Triestina had practically given up and for the other two places there were eight teams within six points including Roma, Lazio and surprisingly Inter.
Torino 46, Juventus 41, Modena 41, Milan 39, Bari 33, Sampdoria 30*, Bologna 30, Napoli 30, Vicenza 29, Atalanta 29, Genoa 26, Alessandria 26, Livorno 26, Lazio 25, Roma 25, Inter 24, Fiorentina 24, Venezia 22, Brescia 20, Triestina 16*
* played extra game
May
Torino continued their path to glory and went +6. Lazio and Inter moved away from the bottom, Alessandria, Roma, Venezia, Fiorentina and Brescia still very much involved in the relegation battle.
Torino 52, Juventus 46, Modena 45, Milan 43, Sampdoria 34, Bologna 34, Atalanta 33, Bari 33, Napoli 32, Livorno 30, Genoa 29, Inter 29, Lazio 29, Vicenza 29, Alessandria 27, Roma 26, Venezia 25, Fiorentina 25, Brescia 23, Triestina 16
June
Torino won the scudetto with three games to spare thanks to a draw at Bari and Modena not being able to beat Atalanta at home. It was their fourth title. In the penultimate game of the season, Fiorentina beat Bari at home, practically securing survival. Venezia lost at Bergamo hence joining Triestina in Serie B, Brescia after drawing at Modena needed a miracle to stay in Serie A.
Torino 61, Juventus 52, Modena 51, Milan 48, Bologna 38, Napoli 37, Vicenza 37, Atalanta 37, Sampdoria 36, Genoa 36, Bari 36, Lazio 35, Inter 34, Alessandria 33, Livorno 33, Roma 33, Fiorentina 31, Brescia 29, Venezia 27, Triestina 16
July
In the last game Fiorentina got the necessary point and stayed in Serie A. So, Brescia, Venezia and Triestina were relegated but then the evolving situation in Trieste changed things. Since Amatori Ponziana were going to play the Jugoslav top tier league, the Italian Federation decided to re-admit Triestina to Serie A since it would have been politically “difficult” to have one Trieste team in the top Jugoslav tier and one in Serie B. So, for the 1947-48 season, Serie A would exceptionally have 21 clubs.
Only one team came up from Serie B and that was Pro Patria.
Top scorer was Valentino Mazzola, Sandro and Ferruccio’s father, with 29 goals.
Final table: Torino 63, Juventus 53, Modena 51, Milan 50, Bologna 39, Vicenza 39, Bari 38, Napoli 37, Atalanta 37, Inter 36, Sampdoria 36, Genoa 36, Lazio 36, Alessandria 35, Livorno 33, Roma 33, Fiorentina 32, Brescia 31, Venezia 27, Triestina 18
Sources
Comments