Lazio could have won, but the ref disagreed
The Biancocelesti were stopped by an absurd penalty in the last minutes.
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived 11th. After an excellent first half of the season where the Biancocelesti were eighth but just four points off fourth place, in the second half they only earned 12 points and fell behind. Even if they sank in the table, they were never really in danger of relegation, always maintaining a comfortable cushion between themselves and the drop. Manager Mario Sperone had been sacked after 24 games, replaced by Federico Allasio.
Allasio had been confirmed and in the summer transfer window some interesting players had arrived: goalkeeper Giuseppe Zibetti (Brescia), historic Juventus defender Carlo Parola and Attilio Giovannini (Inter), midfielder Renzo Sassi (Legnano) plus forward and another Juventus legend John Hansen. Leaving Lazio were Lucidio Sentimenti IV (Vicenza) and Serafino Montanari who had decided to retire. The club sent a number of players out on loan: Roberto Lovati (just bought from Monza, was sent to Torino), Renato Spurio (Monza), Franco Carradori (Palermo) and Paolo Bettolini (Monza). Enrique Flamini left to play for Terracina.
Lazio had a terrible start to the season, In the first seven games they managed one win (against Fiorentina), a draw in the derby and the rest were losses. They were last. Allasio was sacked and the duo George Raynor-Roberto Copernico were called in to rescue the season. Raynor had done very well as head coach for Sweden and the previous year he had, briefly, managed Juventus.
With the new coaches the situation had not really improved that much. They were still last, but in the company of Spal. This year in Serie A, two teams would be relegated to Serie B.
The match: Sunday January 2, 1955, Stadio Comunale, Ferrara
There were lots of Lazio supporters in Ferrara today to cheer on the team in the hope for a win. But the game was rather dismal. The Biancocelesti had difficulty in managing to create anything dangerous and break down the Spal defensive wall. In the 9th minute a Rinaldo Oliveri shot went across the Lazio penalty area without anybody ready to tap it in. In the 21st minute Oliveri crossed into the middle and Pietro Broccini headed the ball past Giuseppe Zibetti.
The Biancocelesti at this point doubled their efforts and in the 26th minute could have equalised with a Renzo Burini shot which unfortunately hit the crossbar. The rest of the first half was characterised by long balls into the box comfortably managed by the Spal defence.
In the second 45 minutes there were a few tactical changes and Lazio managed to equalise. In the 54th minute Pasquale Vivolo passed to Sigvard Lofgren who from outside of the penalty area gave the ball a big whack that beat Piero Persico.
The Biancocelesti insisted and ten minutes later went ahead. After a number of shots from both John Hansen as well as Primo Sentimenti V, it was Burini following a Per Bredesen assist, to score for Lazio.
The Biancocelesti fell back hoping that a better defensive organization was enough to bring back the victory, but the referee did not agree. In the 84th minute Sentimenti V successfully anticipated a Spal forward but for the referee it was a penalty. Broccini equalised for the hosts.
The Lazio players were furious and Attilio Giovannini was sent off for dissent. As he was leaving the pitch, he was heavily insulted by the Spal fans and he answered back. After the match the local police took him in for questioning.
Pity, it would have been a good win.
Who played for Spal
Persico, Lucchi, Pugliese, Morin, Ferraro, Dal Pos, Olivieri, Montagnoli, Rossi, Broccini, Busnelli
Manager: Biagini
Who played for Lazio
Zibetti, Antonazzi, Sentimenti V, Fuin, Giovannini, Sassi II, Bredesen, Lofgren, Hansen, Burini, Vivolo
Manager: Raynor
TD: Copernico
Referee: Liverani
Goals: 21’ Broccini, 54’ Lofgren, 63’ Burini, 84’ Broccini (pen)
What happened next
In the second half of the season Lazio improved considerably. They beat Juventus, won the derby, and slowly started to climb up the ladder. With four games to the end of the season they had a six-point cushion over 17th place and in the end arrived 12th. A miracle considering that after nine games they were last on three points. A big hand came from Zibetti who was really miraculous at times, and John Hansen. His 15 goals were fundamental.
The players with most appearances this season were Burini, Sentimenti V and Giovannini with 31.
What happened in Serie A 1954-55
The scudetto the previous season had been won by Inter. At the end of the first half, the Neroazzurri were first together with Juventus and Fiorentina. The head-to-head continued and with eight matches to the end Inter were third, a point behind the other two. But then they destroyed Juve 6-0, Fiorentina lost at home against Lazio, and Inter went to the top alone. It did not last long since in the 28th game Inter lost in Naples, Fiorentina drew and Juventus won. The Viola abandoned the race with just two points in three games. Just 270 minutes left of the season, Inter and Juventus were tied at the top. But then Inter reclaimed the solitary lead after a draw at Palermo and a Juve defeat with Atalanta and won the last two to claim their 7th scudetto.
In the 1954-55 season the Neroazzurri were favourites but Milan had spent quite a lot of money in the summer transfer window and had signed the Uruguayan champion Juan Alberto Schiaffino one of the heroes of the Uruguay World Cup win in 1950, when against all odds Uruguay beat Brazil in the final at the Maracana.
September
Early stages so far but the major teams all confirmed their status.
Milan 4, Inter 4, Fiorentina 4, Bologna 4, Juventus 4, Roma 4, Atalanta 3, Napoli 3, Sampdoria 2, Triestina 2, Genoa 1, Spal 1, Catania 0, Lazio 0, Novara 0, Pro Patria 0, Torino 0, Udinese 0
October
Milan so far had won all of their matches, Juventus were surprisingly beaten at home by Triestina, the Rome derby ended in a draw. Roma were doing well so far and had beaten Inter away.
Milan 14, Inter 10, Fiorentina 10, Roma 9, Juventus 8, Atalanta 8, Triestina 8, Bologna 7, Napoli 7, Torino 7, Genoa 6, Catania 5, Novara 5, Sampdoria 5, Spal 5, Udinese 5, Pro Patria 4, Lazio 3
November
Milan’s winning run ended in the derby which they drew 1-1 but after ten games already had a rather large lead. Behind, Lazio were not doing well with just two wins and 7 defeats. The Biancocelesti looked to be in a spot of bother.
Milan 19, Juventus 13, Fiorentina 13, Inter 12, Roma 12, Bologna 12, Catania 10, Napoli 10, Atalanta 10, Torino 10, Triestina 10, Genoa 9, Udinese 9, Novara 7, Pro Patria 7, Sampdoria 6, Spal 6, Lazio 5
December
Milan finally lost a game, away to Roma, and their lead was reduced to just three points, also due to the fact that their game with Udinese was postponed because of fog.
Milan 21*, Juventus 18, Roma 17, Fiorentina 16, Bologna 16, Torino 16, Inter 15, Atalanta 13, Catania 13, Genoa 12, Napoli 11, Novara 11, Triestina 11, Sampdoria 10, Udinese 10*, Pro Patria 8, Lazio 7, Spal 7
* one game in hand
January
Milan won 4-3 in Turin against Juventus who then made just two more points before being heavily defeated against Sampdoria 5-1. Inter too were not looking healthy after losing in Rome to Lazio and then 5-3 at home to Fiorentina. Bologna crept up to second place followed by the Viola and Roma. Lazio finally moved out of the relegation zone.
Milan 28, Bologna 24, Fiorentina 22, Roma 22, Inter 19, Juventus 19, Torino 19, Udinese 18, Napoli 17, Genoa 17, Catania 17, Sampdoria 15, Atalanta 15, Triestina 13, Novara 12, Lazio 11, Spal 10, Pro Patria 8
February
Milan lost two games in a row and Bologna went to -1, but then at the end of the month the Rossoblu lost at home to Roma and the Rossoneri beat Catania to go +3. Juve and Inter continued to have trouble, with the Bianconeri losing to Lazio and Triestina and Inter to Spal. Behind Pro Patria looked doomed.
Milan 31, Bologna 28, Roma 27, Fiorentina 26, Udinese 24, Inter 23, Juventus 23, Torino 23, Sampdoria 20, Napoli 20, Genoa 20, Triestina 19, Catania 18, Atalanta 18, Lazio 18, Novara 16, Spal 15, Pro Patria 9
March
Milan pulled away and now had a six-point lead. Lazio thrashed Roma in the derby and moved to much safer waters. Surprise Udinese climbed up to fourth place with a game in hand.
Milan 35, Roma 29, Bologna 29, Udinese 28*, Fiorentina 28, Juventus 27, Inter 26, Torino 26, Sampdoria 24, Napoli 24, Lazio 22, Triestina 22*, Catania 21, Genoa 21, Novara 20, Atalanta 19, Spal 17, Pro Patria 12
* one game in hand
April
Despite losing to Roma and drawing the derby, the scudetto was Milan's hands as they had a four-point advantage over Roma and Udinese. Spal and Pro Patria were virtually both in Serie B.
Milan 39, Roma 35, Udinese 35, Bologna 34, Juventus 32, Fiorentina 31, Napoli 29, Sampdoria 28, Torino 28, Inter 27, Triestina 27, Lazio 26, Catania 25, Novara 25, Atalanta 24, Genoa 24, Spal 18, Pro Patria 17
May
Udinese beat Milan and got to just two points from the top but in the next match the Rossoneri beat Lazio away and Udinese drew with last placed Pro Patria so Milan went +3 which they then kept thanks to a home win against Juventus. Three games to go.
Milan 43, Udinese 40, Bologna 37, Roma 36, Fiorentina 36, Napoli 35, Juventus 34, Torino 32, Inter 31, Sampdoria 30, Genoa 29, Catania 29, Triestina 29, Lazio 27, Atalanta 26, Novara 25, Spal 21, Pro Patria 18
June
Milan demolished Genoa away 8-0 and Udinese drew 3-3 at Novara. With two games to the end the Rossoneri needed just one more point and they won the scudetto with a 6-0 win over Spal.
However, Serie A was not over. Udinese and Catania were accused of corrupting referees and risked being relegated.
Milan 48, Udinese 44, Roma 41, Bologna 40, Fiorentina 39, Napoli 38, Juventus 37, Inter 36, Sampdoria 34, Torino 34, Genoa 31, Catania 30, Lazio 30, Triestina 30, Atalanta 28, Novara 28, Spal 23, Pro Patria 21
Aftermath
Udinese were found guilty of having corrupted a referee in the last game of the 1952-53 season and Catania also for having paid a referee, Ugo Scaramella. Initially the two teams were not allowed to participate in professional football but then on appeal they were relegated to Serie B. This meant that Spal and Pro Patria survived and stayed in Serie A.
Milan would play the first European Cup the next season, Vicenza and Padova were promoted to Serie A.
Top scorer was Gunnar Nordhal with 26 goals.
Final table: Milan 48, Roma 41, Bologna 40, Fiorentina 39, Napoli 38, Juventus 37, Inter 36, Sampdoria 34, Torino 34, Genoa 31, Lazio 30, Triestina 30, Atalanta 28, Novara 28, Spal 23, Pro Patria 21, Udinese & Catania demoted to last place
Sources
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