Quick win
Two goals in the first 20 minutes closed the game early
Also on this day: January 8, 2006, Lazio Ascoli 4-1. No contest between Lazio and Ascoli even if the Biancocelesti were down one zero after 15 minutes. Player of the day: Gaby Mudingayi
The season so far
After the mediocre 1954-55 season, Lazio realised that they had to do more as far as transfers were concerned. So, for the current campionato Lazio spent a lot of money. In came forwards Arne Selmosson and Lorenzo Bettini from Udinese plus Ermes Muccinelli from Juventus, defenders Giovanni Molino (Torino) and Nicola Lo Buono (Trani). Roberto Lovati and Franco Carradori returned from their loan spells at Torino and Palermo. Leaving Lazio were legends Aldo Puccinelli and Romolo Alzani as well as Per Bredesen, Vittorio Bergamo and Renato Spurio. Carlo Parola left active football but stayed as assistant to manager Luigi Ferrero. The Technical Director was still Roberto Copernico.
The beginning of the season had not been good. They had won four games but three away from home, including a great win in Milan against Inter. In the previous home game Lazio had beaten Novara, first home win of the season. The next Sunday they predictably lost against Juventus and were now 13th, three points clear of the relegation zone. Jesse Carver, who had previously managed Juventus, Torino and Roma, had just come in as new technical director. A win today would be nice!!!!
The match: Sunday, January 8, 1956, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The Biancocelesti had to play without Attilio Giovannini and Renzo Burini, both suspended after the previous match against Juventus (the former had been sent off for dissent) and they were substituted by Primo Sentimenti V and Rinaldo Olivieri.
Lazio went ahead immediately. In the 3rd minute a Guglielmo Toros fumble allowed Bettini to be all alone in front of the goalkeeper and he did not miss his chance. This meant that Pro Patria had to change their game plan but they still created a number of headaches for goalkeeper Bob Lovati. However, in the 22nd minute the Biancocelesti made it two. Sergio Frascoli slipped on the ball and gave Bettini another unmissable chance. Lazio 2 Pro Patria 0. The game was virtually over. Pro Patria gave up and the Biancocelesti controlled the rest of the game.
At the end of the match Ferrero gave in his notice in solidarity with Copernico who had been sacked earlier in the week.
Who played for Lazio
Lovati, Molino, Di Veroli, Fuin, Sentimenti V, Villa, Muccinelli, Olivieri, Bettini, Selmosson, Vivolo
Manager: Ferrero
TD: Carver
Who played for Pro Patria
Longoni, Taglioretti, Toros, Gimona, Colombo, Frascoli, Vicariotto, Borsani, Sala, Danova, Benelli.
Manager: Reguzzoni
Referee: Lo Bello
Goals: 3’ Bettini, 22’ Bettini
What happened next
After Ferrero’s resignation Carver took over all coaching responsibilities even if Parola was coach on paper. Things went decisively better under the English manager and the Biancocelesti started to climb up thanks also to a table that had a lot of teams within just a few points. After match 26 they were fourth together with Atalanta, Spal, Roma, Padova, and Sampdoria. Third place was reached three games from the end of the season and then maintained (in the company of Inter). Lazio had beaten Bologna, Inter, Milan and Napoli away from home plus Roma and Juventus at the Olimpico.
The interesting fact was that the game against Roma had been postponed due to snow, something that happens very rarely in the capital.
Selmosson was the player with most appearances (34) and the leading goal scorer together with Muccinelli (10).
Lazio 1955-56
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 54 |
Top five appearances
Player | Serie A |
Selmosson | 34 |
Bettini | 32 |
Lovati | 32 |
Molino | 32 |
Muccinelli | 32 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Serie A |
Bettini | 12 |
Selmosson | 10 |
Muccinelli | 10 |
Burini | 7 |
Vivolo | 5 |
Let's talk about Lorenzo Bettini
Lorenzo Bettini was born on January 15, 1931 at Villanuova sul Clisi, near Brescia. He started playing football in the local team and then in 1949 moved to Brescia where he stayed a couple of years scoring 24 goals in 41 league matches in Serie B. In 1951 he signed for Roma who had been just relegated to the second tier and helped them get an immediate promotion. He was then loaned out to Palermo for a year where he debuted in Serie A on September 14, 1952, in the match against Juventus where he scored the Rosanero goal. Palermo managed to avoid relegation and the next year he went back to the wrong side of the Tiber but did not play as much (just 15 appearances, with 9 goals though).
In 1954 he was sold to Udinese and was one of the protagonists of their remarkable season. The Bianconeri had arrived second but were then sent to Serie B for having corrupted a referee two years earlier. At this point he joined Lazio.
He stayed two seasons in Rome with 41 appearances and 15 goals. His first season was really great with 12 goals in 32 games but his second was not as good and at the end of the season he was sold back to Udinese. There he rediscovered his goal scoring abilities and stayed four years with 126 games and 47 goals. He became the club’s most prolific forward with 67 goals, overtaken only recently by Antonio Di Natale in 2010.
In 1961 he signed for Inter and made 24 appearances with 9 goals. The team was managed by Helenio Herrara and they arrived second. In November 1962 he was sold to Modena but after playing two games for the Nerazzurri, and since they then went on to win the scudetto, he too was a title winner. His year in Emilia-Romagna was his last in Serie A as in 1963 he moved to Alessandria in Serie B. He retired in 1966.
He played 5 games (with 3 goals) for the Italy B side.
Once he stopped playing, he managed a petrol station in Gavardo, near Brescia, and did so until his death on January 21, 2008.
Lazio career
Season | Total Appearances Serie A | Goals Serie A |
1955-56 | 32 | 12 |
1956-57 | 9 | 3 |
Total | 41 | 15 |
Sources
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