Lazio leave it late to consolidate win
The Biancocelesti score early and leave it late to secure the two points
Also on this day: March 28, 1943: Lazio Milano 4-2. Six goals all in the first half, give Lazio prestigious victory. Player of the day: Lorenzo Borici
The season so far
The previous season had been disappointing and Lazio were only 10th, so for the 1947-48 season fans had 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.
Lazio had never won away from home and things did not change in the return fixtures, and before today’s game they were 12th but very close to the relegation zone which was just a point away.
The match: Sunday, March 28, 1948, Stadio Nazionale, Rome
Lazio played with Corrado Giubilo in goal instead of Uber Gradella, and Orlando Fantoni IV (younger brother of Juan Fantoni I and Leonido Fantoni III and cousin of Octavio Fantoni II) at the centre of the attack in place of Romano Penzo.
Lazio scored early. In the 16th minute Enrique Flamini passed the ball to Aldo Puccinelli on the left who crossed towards the box. Cecconi on the right inside the box stopped the ball, aimed and scored in complete solitude.
In the 22nd minute the game had to be stopped because a plane flew over the stadium and covered the ground with paper leaflets. In the 32nd minute, magnificent defensive play by Remondini who was able to stop Renato Brighenti from equalising. Three minutes later Romolo Alzani cleared the Lazio box after a dangerous skirmish.
Lazio were defending well and at the beginning of the second half almost went two up after a Vittorio Bergamo own-goal attempt. In the 55th minute Riccardo Della Torre’s header went over the crossbar.
The Biancocelesti tried to ease the pressure on the defence and had three shots at goal with Fantoni IV, Flamini and Cecconi, all wide. In the 77th minute Alzani saved the ball on the line and a minute later Della Torre shot wide.
In the 81th minute Lazio closed the game. Flamini, on the right, 18 metres from the goal, gave the ball a big whack. Franco Cardani saved, Puccinelli was quicker than anyone and tapped the ball in.
In the 87th minute there was a free kick for the Biancocelesti. Remondini’s thunderous shot went through the wall and into the net. 3-0 and game over.
Who played for Lazio
Giubilo, Remondini, Piacentini, Alzani, Gualtieri, Ferri, Puccinelli, Flamini, Fantoni IV, Cecconi, De Andreis
Manager: Tognotti
Who played for Genoa
Cardani, Sardelli, Becattini, Grisanti, Cattani, Bergamo, Trevisani, Formentin, Ghiandi, Brighenti, Della Torre.
Manager: Allasio
Referee: Bellé
Goals: 16’ Cecconi, 81' Puccinelli, 87' Remondini
What happened next
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, Bologna and Fiorentina (5-0). They finished 10th, just like the previous season.
Romulo Alzani was the player with most appearances (38) and Penzo the top goal scorer (17).
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 Leandro Remondini
Leando Remondini was one of the greatest defenders of his generation. He started playing for Lazio late in his career but in three years he proved his quality and to this day he is occasionally placed in some of Lazio’s best ever XI's.
Born in Verona on November 17, 1917, he started playing football for his hometown team in 1935-36 in Serie B, and two years later he moved to Milan where he stayed for five seasons.
Just before the beginning of World War II he was sold to Modena. During the war years he played for Varese and Casale before returning to Modena for the 1946-47 season. That year the Canarini (canaries) reached third place in Serie A, the best result in their history. Modena’s defence established the record for the least number of goals conceded in a 20-team Serie A season.
In 1947 he signed for Lazio. He had a few problems settling in but that was mainly because he missed his family. Once they moved to Rome, all his talent exploded. He could play in every defensive position and even in attack if necessary. He was fast and powerful, very generous and one of the most loved players by the fans. And he was good at free kicks.
In a Lazio Inter of October 1947, he took a free kick that was so powerful that it not only dangerously bent back the wrists of the goalkeeper but also broke the net with the ball ending up among the spectators. He scored 19 goals in three seasons, a lot for a defender in those years. He occasionally took penalties but his shot was so powerful he often missed.
In 1950 he signed for Napoli where he stayed a year. He finished his career with Lucchese in 1951-52.
He participated in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil and played his first and only game for the Nazionale on July 2 against Paraguay, won by Italy 2-0. For 42 years he was the oldest player to debut for the Italian national team until Mauro Tassotti played against Switzerland in 1992.
Once he quit playing he became a manager. After coaching Foggia in 1954-55 he worked in Turkey until 1960, where he coached Besiktas, Altay, Galatasaray and the Turkish National squad. He came back to Italy in 1960 and coached a number of teams, but his only experience in Serie A was with Palermo in the 1961-62 season. He was manager for Modena for 177 games, the highest number of games for any coach in their history.
He died of a heart attack in Milan on January 9, 1979.
Lazio career
Seasons | Appearances Serie A | Goals Serie A |
1947-48 | 35 | 6 |
1948-49 | 28 | 6 |
1949-50 | 32 | 7 |
Total | 95 | 19 |
Sources
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