A Manola brace and Gradella saves give Lazio the win
Two goals by the Yugoslav and one by Argentine Flamini are well protected by the Italian keeper
Also on this day: January 17, 1954, Lazio Sampdoria 3-0. A goal by Norwegian midfielder Bredesen leads Lazio to comfortable win over Sampdoria. Player of the day: Per Bredesen
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 4th under Austrian Alexander Popovic. The Biancocelesti had beaten Ambrosiana Inter 1-0 and Milano 5-2 away and Juventus 2-1 at home plus had thrashed today's opposition 5-0 at home. Top scorer was Silvio Piola with 21 goals (18 in A).
This season Popovich stayed on. There was not much money but there had been a few changes to the squad. The main players coming in were defender Alessandro Capponi (Ferrara) plus forwards Engelbert Koenig (Catania) and Petar Manola (BSK Belgrade).
Leaving were defender Maximiliano Faotto (Ascoli), midfielders Bruno Camolese (Vicenza), Giuseppe Baldo (retiring - after 7 seasons and 169 league games) and forward Otello Zironi (Modena).
So far Lazio had just completed the first round of 15 fixtures, so had played every team. The Biancocelesti had won 6, drawn 4 (including Triestina 0-0 away) and lost 5. Lazio were on 16 points. The best wins had been 5-3 against Juventus and 3-1 against Roma, both at home. Silvio Piola had already scored 16 league goals (including 4 against Juventus).
In Coppa Italia Lazio had qualified for the quarter finals beating Napoli 2-1 and Juventus 3-2, both away. The Biancocelesti would now play Roma in May.
Triestina had finished 8th the previous season under Mario Villini.
This season Villini was confirmed but the Giuliani had a few new players. The main new entries were: keeper Arrigo Benussi (Monfalcone), defender Edy Gratton (Monfalcone), midfielder Bruno De Lazzari (Mestrina) plus forwards Mario Mlacher (Ampelea-end of loan) and Federico Zanolla (Monfalcone).
Leaving Trieste were: keeper Enrico Costanzo (Barletta), midfielder Giuseppe Grezar (Torino - he would die in the Superga air crash) and forward Remo Costa (retiring - he would then join Udinese in 1945).
So far, the Alabardati had only won 1 (beating Italian champions Roma a week earlier), drawn 9 and lost 5. The Triestini had 11 points.
Lazio were favourites today but Triestina had finally won their first match a week earlier in Rome, maybe the eternal city air did them good.
The match: Sunday, January 17, 1943, Stadio PNF, Rome
A pleasant, sunny January afternoon brought about 19,000 spectators to the small stadium in the Flaminio area of north Rome.
The game came to life immediately with both teams with attacking intentions. Lazio attacked more and took the lead in the 23rd minute. Silvestro Pisa found Silvio Piola who, despite being watched closely by the visitors’ defence, managed to find space to get a shot which Guerrino Striuli saved but only as far as Manola who scored. Lazio 1 Triestina 0.
Triestina barely had time to regroup before Lazio scored again in the 28th minute. The goal again came from a Piola shot saved by Striuli and the ball then reached Enrique Flamini about 20 metres out who blasted an unstoppable shot past the Giuliano keeper. Lazio 2 Triestina 0. The score line remained the same at halftime.
A hard-fought first half but Lazio had taken their chances and had a reassuring lead.
In the second half Triestina attacked with more conviction and Uber Gradella was forced to make several saves. The goalkeeper was on top form and when he was beaten, such as in the 72nd minute, Italo Romagnoli headed off the line.
In the 73rd minute however Triestina pulled one back. On a corner, Lodovico Defilippis scored from close range. A deserved goal for the visitors who were back in the game. Lazio 2, Triestina 1.
The game became end to end with both sides threatening. It was Lazio who scored first, definitely putting the contest out of the Alabardati's reach. In the 78th minute it was Manola, with his second of the afternoon, who clinched the game for the Biancocelesti. Lazio 3 Triestina 1.
A good win for Lazio in an evenly balanced game. The newspapers of the time claimed Triestina had played a lot better today than a week earlier when they had beaten Roma. The Roma keeper Giacomo Blason had made no saves but conceded two goals while today Gradella had been kept very busy.
It was Lazio however who had scored the three goals and moved 7 points above today's rivals and 6 above Roma who had lost 0-3 in Florence.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Popovic
Who played for Triestina
Striuli, Sacchetti, Ballarin, Salar, Rancilio, Radio, Defilippis, Sessa, Cergoli, Tosolini, Tagliasacchi
Manager: Villini
Referee: Gamba
Goals: 21' Manola, 71' Flamini. 73' Defilippis, 78' Manola.
What happened next
Lazio finished 9th. In the next four matches they only earned one point but then beat Juventus 4-2 away. They later lost the derby 0-1 but then beat Milan 4-2 at home. In the end Lazio won 10, drew 8 and lost 12. The Biancocelesti finished above Roma on goal difference. Top scorer was Silvio Piola with 21 league goals.
Lazio lost the Coppa Italia quarter final to Roma 1-2. All in all, a disappointing season for the Biancocelesti.
Triestina finished 13th. The "Unione" had to go to relegation playoffs but beat Venezia 2-0 and Bari 3-2 and stayed up. The Alabardati won 5, drew 11 and lost 11. Top scorer was Francesco Cergoli with 7 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Torino for their 2nd title. The clubs going down were supposed to be Bari and Liguria but they avoided the drop due the remodelling of the league format in the war period (the league was split into regional tournaments).
Lazio 1942-43
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 56 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | 6 |
Total | 33 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 62 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Ramella | 33 | 30 | 3 |
Flamini | 30 | 27 | 3 |
Puccinelli | 30 | 27 | 3 |
Gradella | 28 | 25 | 3 |
Fazio | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Monza | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Pisa | 27 | 25 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Piola | 21 | 21 | - |
Pisa | 9 | 8 | 1 |
Koenig | 8 | 6 | 2 |
Gualtieri | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Borici | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Manola | 4 | 4 | - |
Let’s talk about: Petar Manola
Petar Manola was born in Jajce (in modern day Bosnia), on February 28, 1918. He was of Yugoslavian nationality.
His first club at 13 was Slavija in Sarajevo. At 18 he moved to BSK Belgrade where he stayed six seasons, winning a Yugoslav league title in 1939.
In 1942 he joined Lazio. The manager was Alexander Popovich and Lazio finished 9th. Manola played 11 league games with 4 goals (Liguria, Triestina x2, Fiorentina) plus 1 game in Coppa Italia.
In 1943-44 due to WW2 Lazio played in the "Campionato romano di guerra" (a tournament between all the local teams). The manager was Dino Canestri and Lazio won the league. Lazio won 14 and drew 4. They were all derbies but the main ones against Roma ended in two draws, 1-1 and 0-0. Manola scored Lazio's goal in the 1-1 draw. He played 12 league games and 2 in the mini tournament played at the end of the league between the top four clubs (Lazio came 3rd).
In 1944-45 the war situation again prevented any official national tournaments from being played. Lazio again played the local tournament and finished 2nd, plus the Roman Cup and another Inter-regional tournament. Manola played a total of 16 games with 1 goal. Lazio won one derby 2-0 and lost the other 0-1 against main rivals Roma.
In 1945-46 the national league was divided in a northern group and a centre-south one. Lazio had three different managers; Canestri (1-10), Salvador Gualtieri (player-manager 11-16) and Tony Cargnelli (17-20). Lazio finished 7th and missed out on the national finals. They again won a derby and lost one against Roma. Manola played 20 league games with 1 goal (Roma).
In the summer of 1946 Manola left Italy for France and joined Olympique Lyonnais in the Second Division. He only played two games for "Les Gones" (The Kids) before changing clubs but staying in France.
In 1947-48 he played for Red Star (from Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine in Paris). He played 24 league games with 1 goal for the "L'Etoile Rouge" before returning to Italy.
In 1948-49 he played for Napoli in Serie B. The Partenopei got through three managers, Felice Borei, Luigi De Manes and Vittorio Mosele and finished 5th. Manola played 14 league games and scored 1 goal (winner against Vicenza).
In 1949-50 he spent a year with Cavese in the Campania First Division. The Metelliani were promoted to Eccellenza (5th tier).
In 1950-51 he stayed in Campania but joined Benevento in Serie C. The "Stregoni" (The Sorcerers) finished 12th.
His last club was Turris (from Torre del Greco-Naples) in Interregionale Sud Promozione. The Torresi finished 5th and went up to the new 4th tier league. Between 1952 and 1955 the Corallesi finished 5th twice and 14th. For a stint in 1952 and then in the 54-55 season Manola was also player-manager. At the end of the season he retired, at 37.
As a player he also won 9 caps for Yugoslavia.
In 1962-63 he returned to Turris as manager. The Torresi were in the 5th tier and finished 2nd, just missing out on promotion to Puteolana.
In 1963-64 he was manager of Savoia (from Torre Annunziata-Naples), in the 5th tier, from the 5th game to the 19th when Bruno Pesaola took over. The Oplontini were eventually promoted.
Manola then worked as a dentist in Naples.
Manola was an attacking midfielder but also an excellent all-round sportsman. In his years with BSK Belgrade he also played for their basketball team. In his time in Rome, he took part in athletics events, representing Capitolina, his specialities were the 400 metres, 400 metre hurdles and the 800 metres.
He was with Lazio for four seasons including the war years. He played a total of 57 games and scored 6 goals, including two in derbies against Roma. He played alongside some Lazio greats such as Silvio Piola, Uber Gradella, Enrique Flamini, Salvador Gualtieri, Silvestro Pisa and Aldo Puccinelli just to name a few.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | National Serie A-B Centre-South | Roman War Championship | Other (1) |
1942-43 | 12 (4) | 11 (4) | 1 | - | - | - |
1943-44 | 14 (1) | - | - | - | 12 (1) | 2 |
1944-45 | 16 (1) | - | - | - | 9 | 7 (1) |
1945-46 | 20 (1) | - | - | 20 (1) | - | - |
1946-47 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
Total | 66 (7) | 15 (4) | 1 | 20 (1) | 21 (1) | 9 (1) |
(1) The Torneo a Quattro of 1944, the Interregional and City of Rome Tournaments of 1945.
Sources
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