Augusto Rangone was a coach, journalist, technical director, sporting director, referee, and one of the pioneers of Italian football.
Born in Alessandria on December 11, 1885, in 1912 he was one of the founders of Alessandria Football club, He took on almost all roles: treasurer, technical director, manager (together with Arpad Weisz) and director. He was also a referee and head of the refereeing committee. He was part of the technical commission of the Italian national team and led Italy to a bronze medal in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, beaten only by Uruguay who would go on to win the World Cup two years later. It was Rangone who called up Fulvio Bernardini to the national team in 1925, a rarity for those days to have a non-northern team player called up for Italy.
In 1928-29 Lazio were managed by Franz Sedlaceck but had started so badly that after three games he was sacked and replaced by Fernando Saraceni I. Lazio desperately needed to finish in the first eight teams in the National Division Group B to qualify for the 1929 Serie A. Things improved but not enough and Rangone was called to the rescue from the 15th game. The Biancocelesti were three points away from 8th place. He was head coach for 8 games in which Lazio were still two points behind and was then substituted by Ferenc Molnar. The Biancocelesti reached the 8th position but in the company of Napoli. A first play-off ended 2-2 and a second would have been needed. But then politics intervened and in order to have Triestina as well as Napoli in Serie A for 1929, the number of teams to play the first national league were increased from 16 to 18. As a consequence, Lazio would be playing in the first Serie A championship.
Rangone went on to manage Pro Patria in 1929-30 and Torino in 1937-38. In 1949 the Italian Football Federation nominated him Pioneer of Italian Football.
Rangone died on December 4, 1970, at Acqui Terme near Alessandria.
Source
Comments