Champions of Rome
An easy win over Trastevere gives Lazio Roman War League victory
Also on this day: May 27, 1923, Internaples Lazio 0-3. Despite the misleading final score, a hard-fought match eases Lazio towards Lega Sud Final and potential national glory. Lazio Hero of the day. Pio Maneschi
The season so far
Lazio had finished 9th the previous season, under Alexander Popovich. The highlights were beating Juventus 5-3 and 4-2, Roma 3-1 and Milan 4-2. Top scorer was Silvio Piola with 21 league games.
This year the manager was Dino Canestri but the war had interrupted football at a national level. There were only tournaments being played at regional level. Lazio took part in the first "Campionato romano di guerra" (Roman War League). It consisted of ten teams and ran from December to June. One of the teams MATER had Fulvio Bernardini as coach (former Lazio and Roma player and future manager of both clubs and Italy).
Many of their star players had left: defenders Alfredo Monza (Cremonese) and Italo Romagnoli (Portici-on loan), midfielders Alberto Fazio (retired), Enrique Flamini (Peñarol but he would be back), forwards Silvio Piola (Torino, after 159 goals for Lazio), Aldo Puccinelli (Massese but he would be back too), Silvestro Pisa I (Peñarol).
Arriving were: keeper Amedeo Rega (Italia Libera-on loan), midfielders Michele Andreolo (Bologna), Guido Manfré (Chieti), forwards Umberto Lombardini (Alba Roma), Elvezio D'Orazi (Alba Roma) and Giuseppe Mancini (Alba Roma).
A decrease in quality but this was a weaker competition and an emergency situation.
The format was that the top four would then qualify for another final four-team tournament. So far Lazio had won 13 and drawn 4 (both games against Roma). Lazio had scored 52 goals and conceded 8. Lazio were top of the table, one point ahead of Roma.
Trastevere, from a historic quarter of Rome, were formed in 1909. They had joined the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) in 1925 but had escaped the merger to form A.S Roma, ordered by the fascist regime, as they were in the lower leagues.
Trastevere so far had won 3, drawn 3 and lost 11 (including Lazio 0-2). The Amarantobianchi were bottom of the table, one point behind Elettronica and Alba Roma.
If Lazio won today, they were champions, of Rome at least.
The match: Saturday, May 27, 1944, Stadio PNF, Rome
A crowd of 4,000 was present. It was May 27 and the Roman periphery had suffered heavy bombing over the last two days.
It was a hot day in the capital and this could explain Lazio’s initial apathy. They did not seem their usual selves, lacking fluidity and movement off the ball.
The Biancocelesti had chances but without the necessary urgency. Lombardini was denied by Arduini a couple of times and Petr Manola, Armando Longhi and Henglebert Koenig were all off target. Trastevere had a few chances of their own but Rizzitelli was not accurate in his shooting.
Then within two minutes Lazio practically wrapped up the game. In the 38th minute Mancini fed Lombardini who turned on himself, went past a couple of defenders and blasted a shot that Arduini was unable to keep hold of. One minute later Angelo Pomponi handballed a Mancini cross for a penalty which Koenig put away. Lazio 2 Trastevere 0.
From this point the visitors' heads dropped and Lazio dominated but did not build on the score before halftime.
The second half was so one sided that there's only space to describe the goals. In the 59th minute Lombardini made it three with a low left footed strike. 3-0.
Three minutes later Arduini misjudged a corner and Mancini volleyed in, 4-0.
In the 64th minute Lombardini got his hat-trick. He dribbled his way through the Trasteverini's defence and scored from close range, 5-0.
A minute later came the visitors only shot on target of the second half when a Pomponi effort was saved by Rega.
In the 66th minute Koenig scored from tight angle near the by-line catching the keeper by surprise, 6-0 and fourth goal in seven minutes.
In the 79th minute Longhi got on the score sheet too. He made it seven with a powerful long-range strike, 7-0.
Longhi then got his brace in the 85th minute but this time with the complicity of the keeper who should have stopped it. Lazio 8 Trastvere 0.
There was no time for any more goals. The crowd applauded Lazio off the field after having given them flowers to congratulate them on their success in the league.
Who played for Lazio
Rega I, Valenti, De Pierro, Gualtieri, Andreolo, Manfré I, Mancini, Longhi I, Lombardini, Manola, Koenig
Manager: Canestri
Who played for Trastevere
Arduini, Centomini, Pomponi, Ripanti, Felici, Magrelli, Lanzi, Tugnoli, Rizzitelli, Fornari, Pierangeli
Referee: Schillaci
Goals: 38' Lombardini, 39' Koenig (pen), 59' Lombardini, 62' Mancini, 64' Lombardini, 66' Koenig, 79' Longhi, 85' Longhi
What happened next
Lazio won the Roman War League. They finished one point ahead of Roma who had beaten the Vigili del Fuoco team (Fire Brigade) 4-2. Lazio were Champions of Rome.
There followed an ulterior tournament between the top four. The teams could integrate players from non-participating ones but Lazio were the only ones who decided against it. Lazio lost in the semi-final to Tirrenia 2-4 and then beat MATER 5-3 to finish 3rd. Roma won the final 4-0 against Tirrenia.
Trastevere finished bottom.
Lazio 1943-44
Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Goals scored |
Roman War Championship | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 60 |
Torneo a quattro di Roma | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 7 |
Total | 20 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 67 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Roman War Championship | Torneo a quattro di Roma |
Valenti | 20 | 18 | 2 |
Mancini | 19 | 17 | 2 |
Lombardini | 18 | 16 | 2 |
Longhi | 18 | 16 | 2 |
Rega | 18 | 16 | 2 |
Top five scorers
Player | Total | Roman War Championship | Torneo a quattro di Roma |
Lombardini | 23 | 21 | 2 |
Koenig | 19 | 16 | 3 |
Capponi | 7 | 7 | - |
Longhi | 6 | 6 | - |
Mancini | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Let's talk about Edoardo Valenti
Edoardo Valenti was born in Rome on March 10, 1922. He was born in the Testaccio quarter of Rome, traditionally a Roma supporting area and for some reason was known as Aldo. His father ran a clothes shop in the area.
He was noticed by Lazio manager Dino Canestri in 1934 while playing on a parish pitch in Testaccio. He then grew up in the Lazio youth sector.
In 1940 he played a year with the BNL bankers’ team and then returned to Lazio. In 1941-42 he played 11 games with the reserve team and scored 1 goal.
In 1942-43 he made his first team debut and ended up playing 8 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia. The manager was Alexander Popovich and Lazio finished 9th and winning one derby 3-1, beating Juventus twice and Milan.
In 1943-44 the national leagues were interrupted but football continued at local level. Lazio played in the Roman War League, a tournament between ten teams including Roma. Lazio won the league and Valenti played 18 league games plus two in the final four, under manager Dino Canestri. Lazio won the championship but lost in semi-finals of the less prestigious follow up tournament.
On 23 March 1944 the GAP (Patriotic Action Group) partisans blew up and killed 33 German soldiers in Via Rasella. Following the attack Venturi together with two teammates was stopped by the enemy forces and only freed after he had proved he played football professionally. There followed of course the German reaction with 335 innocent people, including ten civilians, killed at the Ardeatine Fosse.
In 1944-45, Lazio finished 2nd in the Roman War League and Valenti played 11 league games, 4 in City of Rome Cup and 2 in an Interregional tournament. On one of his returns to Testaccio, to play Roma, legend has it that he was insulted so much that his mother reacted by throwing one romanista from the upper stand down to the lower one.
In 1945-46 the national leagues returned but were divided into two groups: north and centre-south. Lazio obviously played in the latter and finished 7th, first under Canestri (1-10), then Salvador Gualtieri (11-16) and finally Tony Cargnelli (17-20). Valenti played 8 league games.
The 1946-47 was his last with Lazio. The Biancocelesti finished 10th in the return of the Serie A format. He played 6 league games, under Cargnelli.
In 1947-48 he played a last season with Perugia in Serie B. The Umbri finished 16th and were relegated. The "Grifoni" (Griffins) started with Umberto De Angelis as manager and ended with Luigi Miconi. Valenti played 11 League games.
He then retired at 26 due to two serious injuries, one to his knee and one to his ankle.
On retirement he opened a bar in the Testaccio area which became a popular meeting point for Lazio fans. He later ran a tobacconist shop in central Via Nazionale.
Venturi was a defender. He had excellent aerial skills and good technique. He was known for being a fair and clean player and nicknamed "Pandoro" (Soft, sweet Christmas cake) for his smoothness. Another nickname was "Er Zagaja" (Roman dialect) due to a slight stutter. It is said even the great Sivio Piola had difficulty in getting the better of him in training.
He played 60 times for Lazio. He died in Rome on July 28, 2009.
Lazio Career
Season | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | National Serie A-B Centre-South Champ. | Roman War Championship | Other |
1942-43 | 9 | 8 | 1 | |||
1943-44 | 20 | - | - | 18 | 2 | |
1944-45 | 17 | - | - | - | 11 | 6 |
1945-46 | 8 | - | - | 8 | ||
1946-47 | 6 | 6 | - | - | - | - |
Total | 60 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 29 | 8 |
Sources
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