No contest
Lazio score ten but game never competitive as Sicilians take field in ten and are soon reduced to nine
Also on this day: June 3, 1956, Milan Lazio 1-3. By winning in Milan in the final match of the season, Lazio secures third place position. Player of the day: Franco Carradori
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 4th in the Lazio regional group so did not qualify for the next stage of the First Division Championship. Lazio's manager was Guido Baccani who had been manager since 1908 and had been technical director for two years before that. Serie A was won by Pro Vercelli for their 7th title
This season Baccani had been confirmed as usual. The new players arriving were keeper Ettore Agazzani (Reggiana) and midfielder Carlo Nesi (from Lazio youth sector), while leaving were forwards Corrado Corelli (retiring), Raffaello Furia (Brescia) and Carlo Maranghi (retiring to become assistant manager).
This season things were going better. Lazio had won their regional group with 8 wins, 1 draw and one defeat. They had therefore progressed to the Lega Sud Interregional Semifinal group consisting of four teams (Internaples, Libertas Palermo and Ideale Bari). Lazio had won all four matches so far (Napoli 4-0 and 3-0, Libertas Palermo 3-2 and Ideale Bari 3-0). The winner of the group would then play the Lega Sud Final to get to the National Final for the Scudetto.
Today's opposition are not to be confused with U.S Palermo although they did then merge in 1924. Libertas played in white and had been formed in 1920. In 1921-22 they had pulled out of the Sicilian Prima Divisione group in protest against the Direzione Regionale (Regional football organisers) as it was run by the US Palermo president and accused him of favouring the Rosaneri. The Whites had been top of the league when this happened.
This season they were back. They had been strengthened by some players from the north: Ermenegildo Negri, Berra and Ferrero. The whites had won the Sicilian group with 3 wins (including 3-2 and 2-0 in the derby with US Palermo), 2 draws and 1 defeat (Messina 0-2).
They now played in the semi-final group with Lazio, Ideale Bari and Internaples. So far, they had won 1 (Internaples 2-1 away) and lost 2 (Lazio 2-3 at home and Ideale Bari 2-3 away) while the home game against Ideale Bari scheduled for May 6 had been postponed to June 17.
So, Lazio were strong favourites today. The Biancocelesti were on 8 points and the Sicilians on 2 but with a game in hand.
The match: Sunday, June 3, 1923, Campo Rondinella, Rome
The game looked to be unbalanced from the start as the visitors only fielded ten men.
They however took a shock lead after only a minute. Defender Negri beat Ettore Agazzini with a freekick to put the Whites in front. Lazio 0 Libertas Palermo 1.
Any realistic hope of pulling off a surprise win were virtually dashed in the 10th minute when defender Ferrero was forced off injured. Palermo were now down to 9 men.
At this point Lazio, already the superior team, started to pile on the goals; Fulvio Bernardini in the 16th, 22nd and 30th minute (on a penalty) and then Aldo Fraschetti in the 37th made it 4-1 at halftime.
The second half followed a similar pattern. The Palermitani scored first with Luoni I in the 55th minute but then were overpowered by Lazio. Six more goals followed: Pio Maneschi in the 61st minute, Fraschetti for his brace in the 69th, Bernardini in the 78th, two by Dante Filippi in the 81st and 85th and finally Bernardini with his fourth of the afternoon in the 90th minute.
A total thrashing but from the moment the visitors had been reduced to nine players it had ceased to be a real contest.
Lazio were now with four wins out of four, with only one game to go.
Who played for Lazio
Agazzini, Saraceni I, Dosio, Parboni, Faccani, Orazi I, Fraschetti, Filippi, Bernardini, Maneschi, Saraceni II
Who played for Libertas Palermo
Triolo, Alberti, Negri I, Ferrero, Varola, Corso, Luoni I, Povero, Guarino, Monaco II
Referee: Pinasco
Goals: 1' Negri, 16' Bernardini, 22' Bernardini, 30' Bernardini (pen), 37' Fraschetti, 55' Luoni I, 61' Maneschi, 69' Fraschetti, 78' Bernardini, 81' Filippi, 85' Filippi, 90' Bernardini
What happened next
Lazio then beat Ideale Bari 6-0 to reach the Lega Sud Final.
On June 24, Lazio drew 3-3 away at Savoia Torre Annunziata (after being 3-1 down). The return game in Rome, on July 1, was easier and Lazio triumphed 4-1 (with a Bernardini hat-trick). This meant Lazio would play Genoa for the Scudetto in a two-legged final.
Unfortunately, the Liguri proved to be superior and won both games, 4-1 and 2-0. Especially in the second game, Lazio played extremely well and were applauded off by their fans. The Biancocelesti had gone close again to the Scudetto but would have to wait a little longer … Lazio’s top scorer was Fulvio Bernardini with 24 goals.
Libertas Palermo then beat Internaples 2-1 again but then did not turn up for the last game against Ideale Bari and ended up 3rd in the group. Top scorer was Pietro Povero with 6 goals (he would later play a season with Ambrosiana-Inter).
Lazio 1922-23
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
National Championship | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 65 |
Top five appearances
Player | National Championship |
Agazzani | 20 |
Saraceni I | 20 |
Fraschetti | 20 |
Filippi | 20 |
Bernardini | 20 |
Maneschi | 20 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | National Championship |
Bernardini | 20 |
Filippi | 15 |
Maneschi | 14 |
Regazzoni | 4 |
Fraschetti | 3 |
Let’s talk about Spartaco Orazi I
Spartaco Orazi was born in Rome on April 7, 1902. He was known as Orazi I as he had a younger brother Vezio who also played football and was called Orazi II.
Spartaco joined Lazio at 14 and started playing for the first team in 1919-20. The manager was Guido Baccani in all his Lazio years. In 1923 Lazio reached the Scudetto final but lost 1-6 on aggregate to Genoa. The following year the great keeper Ezio Sclavi arrived but Lazio finished 2nd in the Interregional Semi-finals behind Savoia so did not fight for the title.
Orazi played 84 league games for Lazio but was also a 400 metres athlete. He was one of the masterminds behind the setting up of the University Games in 1922. After retiring he worked for Lazio as a counsellor.
Outside sport he graduated in Civil Engineering in 1927 and he opened a studio in Palazzo Poli, in Via del Corso. He was involved in several projects including the Flaminio Stadium and Palazzo Marescialli, now council of the judiciary headquarters. He also worked in the coal extraction field in the Sulcis region of Sardinia.
He was in fact flying from Ostia to Cagliari on July 30, 1941 when he died at 39. His flight had a technical problem and crashed.
His brother, Vezio, died not even a year later. During the war he was killed by Tito's partisans while in Dalmatian territories near the Yugoslav border. He later was awarded a gold medal for civil valour by the government.
Spartaco Orazi was with Lazio for eight years, four years with the first squad. He played 84 league games, played a Scudetto final and played alongside some Lazio legends such as Ezio Sclavi, Fernando "Cecè" Saraceni, Luigi Saraceni, Augusto Faccani, Pio Maneschi, Dante "Strofoleppe" Filippi and Fulvio "Fuffo" Bernardini to name a few.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | National Championship | Other Tournaments |
1917-18 | 1 | - | 3 |
1919-20 | 17 | 11 | 6 |
1920-21 | 17 | 17 | - |
1921-22 | 19 | 16 | 3 |
1922-23 | 19 | 19 | - |
1923-24 | 10 | 10 | - |
Total | 85 | 73 | 12 |
Sources
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