Slap in the face
The Biancocelesti destroy Fiorentina with goals from Penzo, Cecconi and Magrini plus two own goals.
The season so far
The previous season had been disappointing and Lazio arrived only 10th, so for the 1947-48 season fans hoped for a better year. Toni Cargnelli was confirmed manager and the most important new arrivals were Flavio Cecconi from Venezia and Sergio Piacentini from Sampdoria plus Leandro Remondini from Modena in the autumn transfer window. Leaving the capital were Luigi Cassano and Henglebert Koenig to Sampdoria, Bruno Ispiro and Antonio Sessa to Triestina, plus Edoardo Valenti to Perugia.
At home Lazio were a force to be reckoned with, but away from home their performances were pretty dismal. After the first half of the season Lazio were 13th with 17 points, just two points off the relegation zone. Cargnelli had been sacked and replaced with Orlando Tognotti.
The new manager was able to improve things. Lazio continued to be disappointing away from home, just one game won … against Roma, but at home they beat Inter and Bologna.
The Biancocelesti were ninth, safe and sound with nothing more to ask from this season. Fiorentina, eighth, had also virtually finished the season. There was a risk that the game could be boring.
The match: Sunday June 20, 1948, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio’s luck commenced right at the beginning of the match. In the 4th minute there was a free kick, Romano Penzo tried a shot at goal, the ball hit the wall, more specifically Italo Acconcia, and went in. 1-0 for the Biancocelesti.
Fiorentina reacted and hit the woodwork twice with Alberto Galassi and Ferruccio Valcareggi.
In the 26th minute a comedy of errors. Mario Caciagli passed the ball back to the keeper without looking, but Giuseppe Moro had come forward to collect the pass. Ball in the back of the net and 2-0 for Lazio.
Not content with the double advantage, the Biancocelesti put their foot down and scored two more goals with Penzo in the 30th minute and Cecconi in the 33rd following a corner kick.
In the second half the game virtually came to a halt. The only thing that happened was Lazio’s fifth goal in the 63rd minute with a shot from outside the box by Mario Magrini.
In the end, it was an entertaining match. If you were a Lazio supporter that is!!!!
Who played for Lazio
Giubilo, Antonazzi, Piacentini, Alzani, Gualtieri, Dal Pinto, Puccinelli, Magrini, Penzo I, Cecconi, De Andreis
Manager: Tognotti
Who played for Fiorentina
Moro, Caciagli, Furiassi, Acconcia, Compiani, Magli, Marchetti, Gregorin, Galassi, Valcareggi, Gei.
Manager: Ferrero
Referee: Tassini
Goals: 4’ Acconcia (og), 26’ Caciagli (og), 30 Penzo, 33’ Cecconi, 63’ Magrini
What happened next
Lazio finished 10th with a comfortable 5 point advantage over the relegation zone. On the whole an okayish season, it was hoped however that the next one would be considerably better.
Romolo Alzani was the player with most appearances (48) and the top scorer was Romano Penzo with 17 goals.
Lazio 1947-48
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 40 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 54 |
Top five appearances
Player | Serie A |
Alzani | 38 |
Remondini | 35 |
Gradella | 34 |
Puccinelli | 34 |
Penzo | 33 |
Top 5 goal scorers
Player | Goals |
Penzo | 17 |
Remondini | 6 |
Puccinelli | 6 |
De Andreis | 6 |
Magrini | 5 |
Cecconi | 5 |
Let’s talk about Corrado Giubilo
Corrado Giubilo was born in Rome on July 21 1921. When he was very young his family moved to Como and he started playing for a local youth team. His brother Alberto Giubilo, who at the time was playing for the Lazio youth teams and who would become one of the most important and historic Italian horse racing journalists, advised him to join the Biancocelesti and Giubilo would become one of the heroes of Vienna.
In July 1932, the Lazio manager Karl Strumer organised a draft for the under 14s. This was something unheard of at the time in Italy. The Microbes, as they were called, kids born in 1920 and 1921, trained twice a week, had tactical and behavioural lessons, and started playing and winning around Italy. They became so famous that they were invited to play in Vienna, on June 11, 1933, for a game against Wacker. The match was played before a 45,000 crowd gathered to watch the national Wunderteam play against Romania. It was a 40-minute game.
The Microbes managed to draw the game and with a bit of luck might have even won it. The small little Biancocelesti against the much bigger Austrian youngsters left the stadium with the crowd enthusiastic. For the Italian media it was a triumph and when the kids arrived in Rome they were overwhelmed by fans, relatives and the entire Lazio first team.
Corrado Giubilo was the goalkeeper of that team.
He stayed at Lazio for 7 years and debuted in Serie A against Juventus on March 24 1940. He fought in the Second World War in Croatia and was a POW in Germany. He came back to Lazio in 1945-46, but his career was marred by three very serious injuries.
After leaving Lazio he played for Pontinia Latina, Anconitana and Chinotto Neri. When he stopped playing he became a manager and coached Cassino from 1958 to 1960.
With Lazio he appeared in 40 league games and once in Coppa Italia.
He died in Rome on January 6, 1997. He will be forever remembered as part of the Microbes.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1939-40 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
1940-41 | 4 | 4 | - |
1941-42 | 1 | 1 | - |
1945-46 | 1 | 1 | - |
1946-47 | 25 | 25 | - |
1947-48 | 6 | 6 | - |
Total | 41 | 40 | 1 |
Sources
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